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Edited by: W. Jason Peck & Christina Stiles Senior Editor: Scott Bagley Creative Director: Rob Stone D20 Brand Manager: W. Jason Peck D20 Line Editor: Ross Watson Interior Design: Ken Whitman Cover Design. Cover Art, & Interior Illustrations: Thomas Denmark Way of the Witch is a trademark owned by Citizen Games (www.citizengames.com). Copyright 2002 by Citizen Games. All rights reserved. ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 system logo’ are trademarks owned by Wizard’s of the Coast and are used according to th terms of the d20 System License Version 3.0. A copy of this license can be found at www.wizards.com . Dungeons and Dragons and Wizards of the Coast are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission. THE WAY OF THE WITCH by Janet Pack, Jean Rabe, Megan Robertson, and Christina Stiles

Way of the Witch

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Within this book's pages, we shall introduce the witch as a character class, explore her specialist spells and abilities, show you how witches interact with each other and with society at large, and present you with background information regarding witches in the world of Myrra.

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Page 1: Way of the Witch

Edited by:

W. Jason Peck

& Christina Stiles

Senior Editor:

Scott Bagley

Creative Director:

Rob Stone

D20 Brand Manager:

W. Jason Peck

D20 Line Editor:

Ross Watson

Interior Design:

Ken Whitman

Cover Design. Cover Art,

& Interior Illustrations:

Thomas Denmark

Way of the Witch is a trademark owned by Citizen Games (www.citizengames.com). Copyright 2002 by Citizen Games. All rightsreserved.

‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 system logo’ are trademarks owned by Wizard’sof the Coast and are used according to th terms of the d20 System LicenseVersion 3.0. A copy of this license can be found at www.wizards.com .Dungeons and Dragons and Wizards of the Coast are Registered Trademarks

of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission.

THE

WAY OFTHE WITCH

byJanet Pack, Jean Rabe,

Megan Robertson, and Christina Stiles

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................3THE BARD SPEAKS ....................................................3BACKGROUND ............................................................4TIMELINE OF THE WEAVE ......................................6BARD MIRELLE’S NOTES ........................................8NOTES OF MIRELLE D’BIRIK ................................10MIRELLE AND CALATIN ........................................11

CHAPTER TWO: WITCH CLASSES ....................15LANGUAGE ................................................................15CREATING A WITCH PC ..........................................16

TABLE 1-1: BAD KARMA TABLE......................17TABLE 1-2: GOOD KARMA TABLE ..................18TABLE 1-3: THE WITCH......................................20TABLE 1-4: WITCH SPELLS PER DAY ............20TABLE 1-5: WITCH SPELLS KNOWN ..............20

WITCH PRESTIGE CLASSES ..................................22TABLE 1-6: THE BLACK WITCH ......................23TABLE 1-7: THE BROWN WITCH......................24TABLE 1-8: THE GREY WITCH..........................26TABLE 1-9: THE VITKE ......................................26TABLE 1-10: THE WHITE WITCH......................28

CHAPTER THREE: SKILLS AND FEATS............29TABLE 2-1: NEW SKILLS ........................................29

CONCEAL (INT) ..................................................29DETECT FAMILIAR (WIS) ..................................30DETECT TAINT (WIS)..........................................30HARVEST (WIS) ..................................................30KNOWLEDGE (DIVINATION)

(INT; TRAINED ONLY) ......................30KNOWLEDGE (WITCHCRAFT) (INT) ..............30PERFORM (CHA)..................................................30PROFESSION: SEAMSTRESS (INT) ..................30RIDE BROOM (DEX; TRAINED ONLY) ............31RITUAL (WIS; TRAINED; WITCHES ONLY)....31

WITCH FEATS ............................................................31TABLE 2-2: NEW FEATS ..........................................32

ANIMAL FRIEND (GENERAL) ..........................32BLACK SIGHT [SPECIAL] ..................................32BLIGHT [SPECIAL] ..............................................32BREW POISON [GENERAL] ..............................32CANDLE MAGIC [ ITEM CREATION] ..............32

TABLE 2-3: POISONS ................................................33COLOR CONJUNCTION [GENERAL]................33COLOR OPPOSITION [GENERAL] ....................33COVEN CONJUNCTION [GENERAL] ..............33CRAFT CHARM (ITEM CREATION)..................34CRAFT FETISH (ITEM CREATION) ..................34ENHANCED COMPANIONS [GENERAL] ........34FAMILIAR CONCERT [GENERAL]....................34FAMILIAR FORTITUDE [GENERAL] ................34FAST [GENERAL] ................................................34GREATER COMBINE [GENERAL] ....................34MIGHTY STEED [GENERAL] ............................34MULTIPLE FAMILIARS [GENERAL] ................34POISON RESISTANCE [GENERAL] ..................35PRESENCE [GENERAL] ......................................35SECOND SIGHT [GENERAL] ............................35SHAPE STONES [GENERAL] ............................35SOULLESS [GENERAL] ......................................36SOUND OF MIND [GENERAL] ..........................36TRACELESS [GENERAL]....................................36UNDEAD WARD [SPECIAL] ..............................36WEATHER WISE [GENERAL] ............................36WITCH’S BROOM [SPECIAL] ............................36WITCHES ORGANIZATION [GENERAL] ........36WITCH SENSE [GENERAL]................................38

CHAPTER FOUR: WITCH MAGIC ......................39WITCH SPELLS DESCRIPTIONS ............................39

ATONEMENT ........................................................39BLIGHT..................................................................39BODY OF EYES ....................................................40NATURE’S BOUNTY............................................40PROTECTION FROM SPIRITS............................40

WITCH SPELL LIST ..................................................41SYRILIA’S ROSE GARDEN ................................42

CIRCLE MAGIC..........................................................42ABJURATION........................................................42MAGIC CIRCLE AGAINST SPIRITS ..................42MAGIC CIRCLE OF AID......................................42MAGIC CIRCLE OF PROTECTION

FROM ARROWS..............................................42MAGIC CIRCLE OF

NEGATIVE ENERGY PROTECTION ..............43MAGIC CIRCLE OF POISON NEGATION ........43GREATER CIRCLE OF HEALING ......................43

CIRCLE MAGIC SPELL LIST ..................................43COMBINED WITCH RITUAL MAGIC ....................44

TABLE 4-1: RITUAL CASTING TIMES ............45TRUE RITUALS..........................................................46

TABLE 4-2: RITUAL CONSEQUENCES ............46TRUE RITUAL COMBINED CASTING..............47

WITCH TRUE RITUALS............................................48MARRIAGE ..........................................................48INDOCTRINATION ..............................................48HOLY VIGILANCE ..............................................49CREATE MAGIC CIRCLE....................................49SEASONAL RITES................................................49EMPOWER VITKE/MOONBLADE ....................50RESTORE THE LAND..........................................50GREATER HOLY VIGILANCE ............................50

FETISHES ....................................................................50CHARMS ....................................................................51WITCH BROOMSTICKS............................................52

CHAPTER FIVE: CANDLE MAGIC ....................53CANDLE COLOR PROPERTIES ..............................55RITUAL CANDLE MAGIC ........................................56

ANTI-MAGIC CANDLE ......................................56CALLING CANDLE..............................................56CANDLE OF RETURN ........................................56CANDLE OF THE WISE ......................................56DEATH CANDLE ..................................................57EVERLASTING CANDLE....................................57HARMONY CANDLE ..........................................57LOVE ATTRACTION CANDLE ..........................57LOVE IDENTITY CANDLE ................................58MEMORY CANDLE..............................................58PROSPERITY CANDLE ......................................58

CHAPTER SIX: FAMILIARS..................................59TABLE 6-1: WITCH FAMILIARS ........................60TABLE 6-2: OTHER WITCH FAMILIARS..........60TABLE 6-3: FAMILIARS SPECIALTIES ............60

WITCH FAMILIARS ..................................................61TABLE 6-4: FAMILIAR ABILITIES ....................62TABLE 6-5: FAMILIAR FEATS ..........................62

BADGERS....................................................................64BEARS ........................................................................65CANIDS ......................................................................65CATONS ......................................................................66FOXES..........................................................................66GARGOYELS ..............................................................66

GIANT TOADS............................................................66GRYPHONS ................................................................67HARTS ........................................................................68MYNIK ........................................................................68OTTERS ......................................................................69OWLS ..........................................................................69PARROTS ....................................................................70RATARQS ....................................................................70RAVENS ......................................................................71RINGURS ....................................................................71TIRAMNES..................................................................71WEASELS....................................................................72

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE WAYS OF WITCHES ..73COVEN ORGANIZATIONS ......................................73

WITCH HIERARCHY ..........................................75MUSICAL WITCHES..................................................75WEDDED WITCHES ..................................................75LEGEND OF THE MOON GODDESS ......................76GREETINGS AND COMMON PHRASES ................79GARMENT MAKING AND GARB ..........................79RITUAL CLOTHING ..................................................80SACRED HOLIDAYS ................................................80ACCOUTERMENTS ..................................................80DRESSING FOR THE WEAVE ..................................80CHAPTER EIGHT: WITCH ORGANIZATIONS 81THE ARCANE CLAW OF SH’GON-KA ..................81CIRCLE OF SHADOWS ............................................82THE DAUGHTERS OF CA’DI-IS ..............................83THE EPISCOPATE ......................................................83GARDEN RETREAT ..................................................84HIGHBORN ................................................................84IN THE GRACE OF THE LADY ..............................85NIGHTSTORM ............................................................86NYLA-KON’S NATATORIUM ..................................86SCHOLAR’S RETREAT ............................................87PALIDORI HOUSE......................................................87SHATTERED CIRCLE ................................................88SILVER CIRCLE ........................................................88SINGERS OF THE SOUTHWEST WIND ................88SLENDIRA’S SISTERHOOD ....................................89WHITE WITCHES OF HOBB HILL..........................90WITCHES OF THE GROVE ......................................90

CHAPTER NINE:WITCH ADVENTURE IDEAS ................................91

1. QUEST FOR THE SHARDS ............................912. THE BANE BELL OF KHIALAS ....................923. OF ANCIENT PALACES ..................................924. DEAD WOOD....................................................935. CHILDREN OF THE WEAVE ..........................946. THE VANISHINGS............................................947. FRAGMENT OF THE EARTH ........................968. THE PARYNISS AMULET ..............................96

SAMPLE CHARACTERS ..........................................97L’AERYN GEHLD ................................................97DAETLIN O’LYKIAD ..........................................97DRAVIKK THE WISE ..........................................98GRENALLA JOSENN ..........................................99VAKAL ................................................................100JASARL THE VITKE ........................................102

GLOSSARY-TOOLS OF THE TRADE ................103

OPEN GAMING LICENSE ....................................104

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Welcome, friend, to the Circle! Within thisbook's pages, we shall introduce the witch as acharacter class, explore her specialist spellsand abilities, show you how witches inter-act with each other and with society atlarge, and present you with backgroundinformation regarding witches in the worldof Myrra.

A word of explanation. This book requires thatyou have access to the Player's Handbook (PHB) pub-lished by Wizards of the Coast, and in some sections,other core books - the DMG and MM are also occa-sionally referred to. Throughout this book, we haveused the term 'Game Master,’ or ‘GM' for short, to indi-cate the person running the game, and 'player character’or ‘PC' to refer to the characters that the other players cre-ate to participate in the game. Oh, and Myrra? This is the worldin which all Citizen Games's Hero’s Journey products are set(though no other Citizen Games’ products are necessary to usethis material, as it is easily adapted to almost any fantasy set-ting).

We hope you enjoy this book – and if you have even halfthe fun we had writing it, you will find it a useful and pleasura-ble addition to your games.

In peace,'The Coven'

The Bard Speaks

This is a message for all Travelers, Scholars, and theCurious:

Welcome to Myrra, a continent of great beauty andgreater talent. My name is Mirelle d’Birik, and Iam a bard. Two years ago, I journeyed toMyrra from the great Empire of Enge, seek-ing information on witches. I now callMyrra home, for despite my best intentions,this land has gotten into my blood—in moreways than one. This country does that—it isas lovely as it is challenging.

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Unusual people, found nowhere else in the world, live here.They are witches. These folk (mostly women, with but a few menamong their numbers) hold extraordinary talents within their ordi-nary bodies. With the aid of their animal familiars, some gather inCircles, performing wonderful works, such as protecting townsfrom tornadoes and flash floods. Others work alone, seeking oldknowledge, like the original meanings of the very words we use tospeak. Some individuals, as it happens, are completely evil, and,having pledged their very souls to Ca’di-us, the Goddess ofDeception, they cause havoc among witches and ordinary folkalike.

It has been my privilege to study these witches closely for thepast two years, and become, in some tiny way, involved in theirworkings. The Craft these intelligent, racially divergent peoplepractice is a highly individualized calling—what works for onewitch may not work for another. Infinite variety, therefore, exists.

I cannot tell you all in this confined space. Suffice it to saythat within the following pages lies much more detail about thehistory and practice of the Craft, including some of the individualsinvolved in or who study the Craft. If you can, seek out the onesnot in hiding and learn from them: their intriguing, entertainingdiscourse is well worth any trouble such travel entails. I have donemy best to set down the tastiest kernels of their stories, includingsome involving my own experiences. Unfortunately, as with anystudy, there remains much more to be told, so my research contin-ues.

Please forgive me that my time with you is limited. My wolfcompanion and I are expected in Circle to assist with a work. Myarthion calls, so I must go.

Enjoy your sojourn in Myrra. May it be as enlightening asmy own journey in this beautiful country. But, if after reading this,your blood begins to boil and you notice your physical and mentalenergies waxing and waning with the moon, then rejoice!

For you, too, are a witch my friend!

Mirelle d’Birik

Background

History of the WeaveWhen Op’ta-tosep descended from the heavens on his fiery

comet and created the land of Myrra, he brought with him acelestial egg, which he planted deep underground. The egg con-tained his sister, Ga-sta‘tosep-di, and she slept in her earthencocoon, all the while growing stronger and becoming one withMyrra.

While Op’ta-tosep created his hidden valley, planted histrees, and populated the land with furred and winged beasts, Ga-sta stirred.

While he painted the flowers and rested atop his mountainhome to marvel at all the wonders he’d shaped, Ga-sta openedher eyes.

Then Op’ta-tosep planted a seed that grew into the firstTyrran. And Ga-sta yawned and stretched and shattered her egg.She felt the earth against her form, reveling in the coarseness of

the ground, sensing insect husks and the tendril roots of the copi-ous great trees above her. She heard the rush of a river overhead,and her mind brushed against the bones of animals that had oncelived above her but now fuelled the land with their returned ener-gy. All of these explorations took minutes for Ga-sta, but Tyrrancenturies passed above her. In a heartbeat, she sensed the skele-tons of men, and drew songs, dreams, loves, and tales of struggleand victory from their lingering spirits. Finally, she tipped herface up and floated to the surface, breaking through the ground’scrust, and feeling the wind wash across her.

Ga-sta explored the world of her brother’s creation, whilehe remained in his mountain home. And when he realized herpresence, he whispered to her on a breeze that he’d charged theTyrrans with protecting the land from the outside world; then, heopened a portal in the very air and stepped through. He knew Ga-sta would help keep his creation safe.

Millennia and generations passed on Myrra, while Ga-stanapped. The brevity of Tyrran life amazed her. She turned herattention to the seas for a while, delighting in the forms of thefishes and the feel of the water all around her. Time and earth-quakes drove cities into the water, and new cities sprouted on theland. Ga-sta eventually returned her attention to the continent,watching with amusement as beings called the Jawnee andDraconis scurried across the land like insects. Ga-sta enjoyed vis-iting the Jawnee forest cities of Xi-Lan and Modar, though shepreferred the unknowing Draconis’ company.

Ga-sta watched as more cities grew, as various racesdemanded tributes, as wars erupted, and as people stole eachother’s all-to-brief lives to gain tiny scraps of land. She watchedas sorcerers, druids, and clerics learned to harness the energyOp’ta-tosep had breathed into the air.

She watched as they crafted magical spells and pennedscrolls.

She watched as children died, casualties of skirmishes theywere too young to understand.

She watched as sorcerers crafted baubles containing bits ofher brother’s breath.

She watched as people fouled the land and her brother’smemory.

Then, at last, Ga-sta felt the stirrings of somethingunknown, something that took nearly a hundred human years forher to understand—revulsion and despair. Ga-sta considered slay-ing all the two-legged creatures and beginning anew, for it wasthey who caused the most woe. She was a god, after all, thoughone with no desire to be worshipped. Neither did she want toopen a portal and follow her brother—not yet. She believed hewas far away, perhaps creating another world full of people whowould one day war against each other. Though she instinctivelyknew other gods existed, nor did she seek their company; she hadknown no other extra-worldly presence, save that of her brother.

Instead, Ga-sta returned to the place she treasured, deepbeneath the earth, where fragments of her egg still lay. Lying in theearth, she stretched out with her senses, feeling the animal bonesand insect husks around her, and hearing the roar of rushing waterand rustling tree branches overhead. She reveled in the ground’scoarseness and in the welcoming darkness. And she spread herselfwide and thin, the fingers and toes she fashioned growing long

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enough to reach to the world’s edges. The heart she made beatstrongly in tune with the wandering animals above her and, intime, with the strokes of birds’ wings. Her heart pulsed a drivingenergy through the land, down her limbs, and to the ends of theworld. Her energy differed from that which her brother hadreleased into the sky with his breath; it was younger, fresher andfilled with a yearning to set things aright in Myrra.

It was filled with a new kind of magic.

The Weave BeginsChildren were among the first witches. Playing by a brook in

the far northern lands, they felt the stirrings of something inexpli-cable: Ga-sta’s energy pulse. It filled them with wonder. Born in avillage very near the brook, they grew up over what amounted tothe earth goddess’s heart, and their spirits had intertwined with heressence.

As they grew older, the ones who remained near the brookrealized magic lived inside them. They’d heard tales of sorcerersand wizards, and some had seen the gifted men and women travelthrough their village. The once-children sensed they were similaryet different from these people. And some of the once-children fol-lowed these magical-folk across Myrra, hoping to learn from them.

Yet, more and more of the goddess’ essence infused the fewfortunate once-children who stayed by the brook. Soon they exper-imented with the magic within them, causing the grass on the bankto grow taller and entangle their feet. They urged the brook tomove faster and the trees to speak, and they eventually grew awayfrom the villagers, who both feared and shunned them for the won-drous things they could do. The villagers believed the gods hadcursed, not blessed, these fledgling witches, and even the once-children’s own relatives rejected them.

The once-children felt hurt only briefly by this rejection; forthe gift of magic that coursed through their bodies made up for theloss of family and friends. The magic became everything, and thegoddess that stretched out deep in the earth, and now stretched tothe moon, became their mother.

The Single Color of WitcheryIn the beginning the weave was colorless. It was only the

weave: the essence of the earth goddess whose life pulsed aroundthem. The first witches were inseparable from nature; they easilycommunicated with animals and plants, tracked like expert woods-men, and predicted the weather with astonishing accuracy. Theystudied the stars and the moon, thought of the latter as a goddess,embraced the seasons, and accepted the glorious sunshine as wellas the tumultuous storms. Their magic grew into extensions of bothnature as well as themselves, and they learned they could stimulatecrops growth and chase disease away from fruit trees. And more,they learned they could see through the eyes of animals.

FamiliarsTheir association with animals led the witches to take famil-

iars, specially bonded animals that could communicate with themand perform all manner of tasks. While it was long-recognized thatwizards and sorcerers could gain similar bonds, only witches couldhave multiple familiars—and their familiars were both more pow-erful and more individualistic.

The Stuff of WitchcraftSome of the witches began to experiment with wood, craft-

ing wands, staves, and finally brooms, imbuing them with enchant-ments. This, they learned from studying sorcerers, and theyimproved upon their magical brethren’s creations, for Myrra’switches were not content to merely copy such items; they wishedto significantly surpass them.

Potions, powders, scrolls, and the like were the trappings ofwitches who lived north of the great desert. Candle magic becamethe focus of those who lived along the eastern coast. And in theirearly gatherings, the witches readily traded their secrets, and indoing so, their magic grew more powerful.

Coloring the WeaveAs the number of witches in Myrra multiplied, contentment

filled the earthy goddess. She believed the world was in safehands; her witches would keep tribes from warring and innocentsfrom being killed. Indeed, she’d watched as small bands of witchesintervened when thieves threatened merchant wagons and whenbrigands tried to overrun farming settlements. And she knew thepeople of Myrra would not starve, as the crops thrived under thewitches’ nurturing guidance. The people would not succumb tofierce weather, as the witches kept the cold at bay when needed,and they lengthened the shade during the hottest months.

So, content, Ga-sta began to consider her brother, whomshe’d only sensed but never actually met. Were there other worldshe’d created where men warred? Did she need to find these placesand burrow beneath the soil, spread herself thin, and give rise tomore witches? In the end, she decided she did, as Myrra’s witchesgrew more powerful and wiser still. So, following her brother’slead, she opened a portal and passed through, beginning her celes-tial search for him and his other creations.

Less than a decade after Ga-sta’s disappearance from Myrra,strife reared in the weave. As the number of witches increased, dif-fering viewpoints clashed. Not all the witches remained closely in-tune with nature, and not all of them were selfless. Some put them-selves first, caring not if men warred. Others thought only of mate-rial and magical gain. So, slowly, the witches started taking sides.Geography determined some divisions, while shared goals andconvictions decided others. The witches who remained the closestto the land declared themselves the earth faction. Others dubbedthem brown witches, as brown dirt clung to their hands and feetfrom their earthly toil.

The brown witches embraced their new order, and they threwoff the influences of their once-sisters and once-brothers. Theyfocused on nature-magic, and they drifted into the wilderness tomake their homes, occasionally traveling to towns to find like-minded individuals to teach their earth-magic to.

The white witches, those declaring themselves as white asthe moon and as pure as the moon goddess, followed. Most ofthem dressed in white robes and festooned their hair with ribbonsthat shined in the moonlight. The most selfless faction of witches,they put the concerns of others first, and they used their magic tohelp villages and travelers alike. Later, they established codes ofconduct that placed them morally above some of their sisters andbrothers. Their magic still tied them to nature, but not to the extent

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of the brown witches—many of whom they still sought out forfellowship. The white witches cultivated defensive spells, so theycould protect their initiates and the common folk. They used thewealth they earned from daily jobs and travel to help feed andclothe the poor in the "white weave," as it was being called.

The gray weave developed next. The gray witchesembraced some of the principles of both their white and brownkin, but these reflective, less emotional witches, craving order,structured their lives more stringently. They called themselves"gray witches," as they thought of themselves as sturdy as thenorthern gray mountains and as enigmatic as fog. They generallyserved as scholars, governors, and lawmakers in the villages andsmall towns in which they dwelled. Though magic concernedthem, they also devoted their personal time to the arts, philoso-phy, and other scholarly interests.

The final group of witches called themselves practitionersof the black weave, as their first leaders embraced the darkness.These selfish witches moved under the cover of the night, andthey often obtained their goals through robbery and murder. Theyused their magic and the darkness to hide their identities fromwould-be persecutors. Gaining arcane might drove them more sothan it did the other witches, and, for the most part, they didn’tcare what methods they used to obtain it. Villagers learned to fearand avoid these dark witches, and, as the years passed, the com-mon folk came to associate all witches with these vile practition-ers of magic.

The growing hatred the black witches’ antics spurred causedwitches of all weaves to practice their magic secretly, hiding theirtrue natures from those around them. And because of this, as wellas the growing ranks of black witches entering the weave, the

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Timeline of the Weave669 B.T. Not far from the desert kingdom of Ar, at the southern end of the Arrani Desert, a young girl separated from her cara-

van discovers an oasis. She clings to the water’s edge, drinks her fill, and prays to the gods that her family will findher and the oasis. Only, a great windstorm sweeps away her tracks, and unable to find her, her parents believe herdead. The young girl stays at the oasis for nearly a year, declining travelers’ offers to join them. She holds out hopethat her parents will return and take her home. In time, she senses the magic--the goddess Ga-sta’s pulsing energy--beneath the oasis, and she begins to crave it like a nomad yearning for water. The young girl becomes one of the firstwitches, a master of nature spells, and by the time she drinks her fill of the oasis’s magic, numerous years pass. Sheleaves the desert and journeys to the north in search of others gifted in the art.

599 B.T. In a village far to the north, children play near a brook that borders their village. Some of the more perceptive chil-dren sense something special about this area, something that keeps pulling them back. Eventually they discover themagic, which now flows freely through them. They learn to cast simple spells, which frightens the villagers and even-tually leads to the children’s banishment. The children, now all young women, oddly do not protest. They go in searchof others who are also proficient in earth magic.

0 D.T. A trio of young witches keep close watch on the Draconis, becoming upset that the Draconis demand more and moreJawnee tribute. The witches see the Draconis unleash the Draconis Triduum on Xi-Lan, and they assist in defendingthe city. Even with their aid, more than 30,000 die in the attack.

90 A.T. The witches learn how to enchant scrolls. Among the first spells they pen are those allowing them to speak to treesand animals. In the south, near the great desert, a witch enchants the first wand.

500 A.T. Lanay ‘Strong-of-the-Weave’ uses her magic to pull back the western river near her home, saving a village fromflooding. The villagers meet her selfless action with both praise and loathing. A faction within the village, fearing allthings magical, demands the witch leave and never set foot on their land again. An enraged archer attacks Lanay,sinking three arrows into the young woman, in an attempt to speed her on her way, but the witch only leaves aftermaking certain the river crests safely away from the community. She later seeks aid from a hermit cleric at the river’send.

850 A.T. Dissention rises in the witch community. The brown weave begins, and the nature-loving witches abandon their sis-ters and brothers, making their homes in the wilderness. Yertoth Greensward, the oldest, and perhaps most powerfulMyrran witch at this time, leads them.

910 A.T. Another witch segment declares itself a separate weave. Kindel Robat, Merthandel Willowood, and Ultharen la-Timuyal lead the white withes’ separation from their witch kin, and the three coax a significant number into embrac-ing their cause and leaving with them, declaring that white magic will only be used for Myrra’s betterment.

925 A.T. Syrilia Indori founds Palidori House, which is intended to protect the knowledge and traditions of the Craft. It alsoinsures that knowledge is passed down from witchly mothers to talented daughters for generations to come. Syriliaand her followers practice something between white and brown witchcraft. They try to maintain contact with allmembers of the blood, and seek to repair the dissention between segments.

990 A.T. A dozen logical, realist women establish the gray weave. They disdain the over-emotional qualities of some of theirkin, and they believe that magic will prosper in their new order. The gray witches suspect those left behind will formadditional weaves—or forcibly join with the browns or the whites. They do not anticipate, despite their rational think-ing, what happens only five years later: the birth of the black weave.

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brown witches felt the earth shudder, as the essence the earthygoddess Ga-sta left behind trembled from what was to come.

Covens and GatheringsFactions grew within the various weaves, and the number

of witches continued to multiply. For quite some time, it hadbeen impossible for all the witches of any one color to convene.However, factions could more easily meet, so these small gather-ing factions formed the first covens. Most established a member-ship limit, choosing thirteen as the maximum number of mem-bers—perhaps because they formed the first coven on the thir-teenth day of the month.

Larger gatherings of many covens came next, such as theSingers of the Southwest Wind and the White Witches of Hobb

Hill. Politics and intrigue—as thick as that found in any city—seeped into the covens and gatherings. Witches vied for powerand prestige, and some bought their way into leadership posi-tions.

The weaves began to oppose each other, most notably theblack and white. White witches commonly pursued their blackkin, trying to shut down whatever nefarious schemes the darkones had in the making. The black weave retaliated, of course,attacking small bands of white witches—and frequently targetingwitches in the gray and brown weaves as well if they had wealthand magic ripe for the taking.

Fortunately for Myrra, the black witches are numerically inthe minority, though perhaps not in power. Currently, the otherweaves hold them in check, but this could change.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

993 A.T. Inception of the Threefold Law. It is embraced by the white, gray, and brown weaves after a revelation sent by Ga-stais received by Chisandra Lomunn of the gray witches. The power-giving oath is shunned as too restrictive by thosefollowing the darker path.

994 A.T. Sensing new strife among Op’ta-tosep’s people, the goddess Ga-sta returns to Myrra in the guise of an ancient andwise witch called Gesta who walked out of the desert. Her teachings stress acceptance of the Threefold Law, andfavor the white and brown witches.

995 A.T. While the brown and the white weaves draw some of the remaining witches, and a handful turn to the gray, most ofthose left unaligned choose a radically different course. Under the powerful, charming Mantisal deLu’Orthal’s leader-ship, they declare themselves the black weave. And they quickly strike out at bands of adventurers and small villagesto enrich themselves, with both money and magic.

1103 A.T. Sisters from Palidori House found the Silver Circle to bring back witches wandering toward the darker aspects of theart. They are able to return a small number back into the brown and white weaves, but not as many as they hadhoped. The old witch Gesta disappears: Ga-sta retreats to consider her next step.

1104 A.T. The Circle of Shadows forms when black and gray witches join forces for common goals and fellowship. Alora Dalanleads them.

1123 A.T. The brown coven of Bixbee discovers an island shrouded by mist. The island’s caretakers draw a handful of witchesto its shores. The isle comes to be called In the Grace of the Lady.

1124 A.T. A rival witch, Lirth Ebonwood, assassinates the black witch leader Mantisal deLu'Orthal. Lirth takes control of theblack witches, calling them the Daughters of Ca’di-us.

1255 A.T. A coven that aids the northern people in driving out Arak bandits forms the White Witches of Hobb Hill.1301 A.T. Hearing an inexplicable call to travel to a northwest mountain, Kyr Dotra, a young male sets out from the great desert

near Ar. When he arrives, he meets a witch named Nyla-Kon, whom he finds actually summoned him there to aid herin building a magical school: the Natatorium.

1339 A.T. Nyla-Kon’s Natatorium is finished, and she begins accepting students. Kyr Dotra, who had been studying at her side,leaves for further learning at the Scholar’s Retreat.

1399 A.T. The witches discover they can band together to cast tremendously powerful spells. 1425 A.T. Assassins kill several black and gray coven members. The Shattered Circle begins its heinous work.

B.T. = Before (Draconis) TriduumD.T. = Draconis TriduumA.T. = After (Draconis) Triduum

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Bard Mirelle’s Notes

Prince Volunmyr waited at the window of his private studyfor his guest. The spry old man fingered the thick gold necklaceset with amethyst and garnet that proclaimed his position of advi-sor to Lord Melsaguinus, Emperor of Enge. He himself had oncebeen emperor, but, as his years advanced, had stepped down infavor of his competent son. Content with his position, and in hisdeclining years, Prince Volunmyr spent his days pursuing his pas-sion: learning about other places and people. Behind him, shelvesof thick leather-bound tomes lined the walls, proof of his dedicat-ed investigations.

Volunmyr twitched a wrinkle out of the cuff of his plaindark green robe; then he pulled at his neatly-trimmed whitebeard, as he watched the courtyard. The woman had to be heresoon. His informants in the city had told him when she crossedthe Phovius River on the Tsoli border. It had been two long yearssince he’d sent the bard Mirelle d’Birik on her mission to Myrra.

After two years of silence, a message had finally arrivedseveral weeks ago, informing him she was returning with hernotes. The message was brief. When set to a task, Mirelle wasalmost as thorough as he. He’d done his research before inter-viewing her. She had been the perfect choice for his assignment.He frowned, and then smoothed out the wrinkles on his foreheadand around his mouth with patience. She’d tell him in time.

A fresh breeze laced with sunshine wafted through his win-dow. Prince Volunmyr inhaled with pleasure. Then his blue eyesnarrowed on the courtyard below, as the bustle inside the curtainwall halted. People stared, backed away, and continued to stare.

Through the late morning, strode a tall figure wearing adark blue cloak, black boots, coarse brown pants, and a wornblue tunic. Pale hair gathered straight back into a long braid andthe extended neck of her precious lute poked over one shoulder.A large, watchful silver and black wolf paced beside her.

"Ah!" The prince chuckled to himself. "My Mirelle, alwaysone to make an entrance."

A sentry approached the pair in the courtyard, halting tensteps away, as the wolf bristled and issued a low growl. The bardnodded at his message, adjusted her lute case strap, and saunteredtoward the main part of the castle. The crowd behind her, stillstarting at the woman and her strange animal companion, closedin.

As she strode through the castle, Volunmyr verbally count-ed off her movements. "She’s entering the doors and crossing theMain Hall. Ragis meets her at the Grand Stairs. They’re climb-ing those now, and she adjusts her pace to his slower one. Ragislets my man Heimdahl take over at the Small Steps. Andshe’s...here."

A knock sounded, then the prince’s study door opened."The bard Mirelle d’Birik, Sire."

"Good, good. Please come in. Welcome back, Bard-Mistress Mirelle."

"Thank you, Sire." She bowed her head and bent a knee.Her dark voice was, as always, full of music. Despite obviousfatigue from her journey, her movements were graceful. Thestrange wolf beside her studied Volunmyr with wide, wise eyes.

"Make yourself comfortable. Both of you."

Mirelle nodded. Grabbing her lute case strap with a thumb,she leaned it securely against the bookshelves on one side of theroom. Returning to the chair facing his, she shrugged off hercloak and backpack.

At the sight of the thick bag, the prince’s interest sharpened."Those are your notes?"

"Indeed, my Lord." The bard dropped into the tapestriedchair as if she hadn’t sat down in a month. "Two full years of get-ting to know the witches of Myrra, as you requested, Sire." Dustseemed ingrained in the new shadows surrounding her brown eyes,making her appear older, wiser somehow, and definitely moreintriguing. The big dark wolf was more than it appeared to be,Volunmyr suddenly realized, as it settled near her feet. No wonderthe people in the courtyard had been staring! Wolves in Enge werethe subject of nightmares.

"Then please...no." He smiled, a boyish expression makinghis blue eyes sparkle. "I am ever hasty where new knowledge isconcerned. Forgive me. You look very tired; you must be fam-ished. May I offer you a meal? And something for your friend, ofcourse. Then we will go through your notes."

"You are very thoughtful." "It’s the least I can do. You’ve donated two years to research

on my behalf. Wine first to remove the road’s dust from yourthroat. I have a fine white saroufay here. Heimdahl!" After givinginstructions to his servant, Volunmyr poured a pale golden liquidinto two rock crystal cups and handed one to Mirelle. He eyed thewolf. "Water for your companion?" He searched for a bowl, final-ly shaking crumbs from a wooden vessel that might have heldbread for his breakfast. "This will do." He tipped a crystal streamfrom a silver pitcher nearby, pushing the bowl across his desk.

"Thank you." Mirelle set down her wine on the table next toher chair and reached for the bowl of water. She placed it withinher companion’s reach, and the wolf, after a long, suspicious sniff,lapped it thoughtfully. Mirelle sipped from her cup and sighed."You do keep an excellent wine cellar, Prince Volunmyr. One ofthe best I’ve experienced."

"That’s high praise for one as well-traveled as you." Hereached across the table with the carafe and poured more saroufayinto the bard’s extended cup. "I take it your trip to Myrra didn’tprove too difficult."

"Not at all." Mirelle settled back into her chair, shifting toaccommodate a long ornate knife sheathed on her belt. The actionwas natural, as if she’d done it for several months. "I had no trou-ble getting there. Finding the subjects to interview and studyproved the most difficult; it took me several months to discover thewitches, and several more to win their trust."

"Oh?" he encouraged."Witches keep to themselves," the bard explained, "as the

prevailing religions in many places persecute them. Most farmersand the like value their help with the crops, and people in sparselypopulated regions seek their healing abilities. Because they helpthe indigenous people with everything from childbirth to lovepotions, weather to crops, and protection from natural disasters,most residents don’t reveal their whereabouts, especially tostrangers. It’s a sort of...community secret. There are even witchesamong the nobility, as well as a few solitary ones who have openlydeclared their practice of the Craft."

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Prince Volunmyr frowned. "Why would the prevailing religiontake exception to them?"

"Because they refuse to follow the so-called religious law."Mirelle sipped from her cup, and then glanced to the floor to makecertain her midnight and silver companion was comfortable beforecontinuing. "Since the church can’t control them, they outlaw themas rebels. Female witches mostly follow a goddess rather than thecreator god of the region. They have their own holidays, and theydon’t contribute to the upkeep of the established organization.Witches also teach the common folk, and the religious hierarchydoesn’t like that."

"I can imagine." The former emperor sipped from his cup,allowing the excellent vintage to bloom in his mouth; he swallowedbefore continuing. "It seems there is a powerful minority there."

"Yes, Sire." The bard studied her wine. "I thought at first thismight be a divisive point into the heart of the country, that it mightbe tearing Myrra apart. Except..."

"Yes?" he encouraged gently.She drew in a deep breath and met his eyes steadily. "Except

that the witches protect Myrra when it’s threatened. Without excep-tion." The prince was silent as she halted, searching for words.

Not having the right phrase at her command is unusual forMirelle, Volunmyr thought to himself.

The bard finally found the words she sought. "I’ve had awhile to think about this. It’s as if they’re paying the land itself backfor allowing them the power to become witches. This is fundamen-tal. No matter the witch’s color, with the exception of the blackweave, she ascribes to this tenant."

"She?"Mirelle nodded. "I heard that male counterparts exist, but most

of the witches I found were female." She shrugged. "That may bebecause I’m female too. I saw only a handful of males while I there,and most of them were tyros. The more experienced women in theCraft, called archons, were teaching them. I heard that other menwere involved with the witches, but I didn’t have time to discoverthem."

The prince stared thoughtfully at his wine, tugging at his beardas he ingested her information. The bard watched the wolf, a pecu-liar little smile lifting one side of her mouth. The creature’s earssuddenly shifted forward, and it lifted its head from its paws. Itgazed attentively at the door until Heimdahl’s knock sounded.Volunmyr jumped, startled by the noise.

"Enter. Ah, good."The servant came in carrying a tray with fine linen cloths cov-

ering steaming viands, as well as a bowl full of raw meat for thewolf. A girl followed him, bringing more water and wine. The bard’scompanion sat up, watching. The girl refilled the carafe and thepitcher, while Heimdahl quickly arranged the food on small tablesnext to the prince and his guest. Neither stood any closer to the wolfthan they had to.

"I’ll do that," said Mirelle, as Heimdahl stood silent, obvi-ously considering how to serve the raw meat to her companionwithout losing his fingers. Relieved, he and the kitchen girl bowedthemselves from the study, as the bard set the bowl on the floor.

"Lamb stew with herbs, one of my favorites." The princebroke off a piece of bread from his trencher, sopped it in broth, and

ate it. "Excellent. My cooking staff does well. Please eat while it’swarm." Much like a fond uncle who has not seen his favorite niecefor years, he watched Mirelle attack her food. "You eat like youhaven’t had a good meal in some time."

"Trail rations get tiresome. A few nights, Kyy hunted for usboth."

"That’s his name?""Part of it." She returned to eating, ending the subject. The

prince wondered about that as he watched Kyy devour the bowl’scontents, licking every trickle of juice from its bottom. Volunmyrremembered the bard as being more openly talkative before her trip.No matter. The answer lay among the information she brought, hewas certain.

She ate more than he did. What was left of the bread trenchershe dropped into the wolf’s bowl. He made it disappear with thesame efficient intensity as he had the meat. After finishing her wine,Mirelle sighed with pleasure. Volunmyr quickly refilled her cup.

"I think you needed that meal." "It’s been a long trip.""I take it the folk in my son’s city gave you trouble because of

Kyy."She looked at her companion, who had again settled down

with his head on his paws, and smiled. "It’s a bit difficult to walkinto any inn on the road these days and sing for my supper with himalong."

"Knowing you, though, you’re likely working on changingpeople’s misconceptions about wolves."

She nodded. "We had a bit of trouble with some people whotried to ambush us from afar." Her hand stroked a dark pendant theprince hadn’t noticed before. He couldn’t tell if it was black or gray;it had an almost mirror-like finish. The stone was cut in a simpledisk and hung from a silver chain. The neckline of her tunic hid itfrom view most of the time. "I could at least talk to those whoapproached, let them know he means no harm unless they attackedme. But sometimes even that didn’t work. I composed a Wolf Songon the road to help."

His bushy eyebrows rose. "You’ll have to sing it for me. I’vealways thought wolves in this country deserved a better reputation."

"It will be my pleasure. Is now a good time?"The prince grinned through his beard. "Any time is a good

time for one of your songs, Lady Bard."She laughed, rising to get her lute. "My breath control won’t

be the best because I ate so much. But I think I can still do a fairjob." Unpacking the twelve-stringed instrument, she began to tune it.Her hand swept into a rhythm and melody suggesting the elation ofrunning on a moonlit night. Volunmyr kept time with his hand, gen-tly tapping his desk with his fingers. His eyes closed as he imaginedthe scene she described: a forest in full moonlight, and a strong, sureanimal in his prime. When she finished, he sat entranced for longmoments. Smiling broadly, he opened his eyes and applauded.

"I’ve never heard you sing better, Mirelle. Please teach thatsong to my son’s bard Ladris before you leave here."

She bowed her head in appreciation of his praise, beforetucking her lute back in its case and leaning it against the book-shelves again. "I’ll do that. Maybe he can make the difference Ican only begin."

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There it was, her reference to time again. Volunmyr pre-vented his eyebrows from diving into a frown that might betrayhis thoughts. Give her a chance, he cautioned himself. Let hergive me the information freely instead of forcing it from her. I’llget more that way. "I’m certain he’ll enjoy learning your work.That’s a good song. Now," he leaned forward eagerly. "Yournotes?"

"Yes, Sire." Mirelle unpacked her backpack, producinga handwidth-thick sheaf of closely-written parchment pages pro-tected by layers of waxed leather. "This is everything I’ve man-aged to learn about the female witches of Myrra in two years."

"Everything?" He couldn’t resist baiting her a little.The bard ducked her head, inevitably honest. It was one

of her traits the prince most appreciated. "Almost everything. I’msure I missed some. And there’s so much more to learn aboutthem."

The prince looked eagerly at the parchment stacks sheplaced on his desk. "Where do we start?"

"Probably the best point is their organization, such as it is,"Mirelle said, pointing to the smallest pile. "That will give you anunderstanding of how they unite in covens, and also how they gettheir work done."

"Go on. Please, go on!" Volunmyr urged.

KYY’S SONG

"SHADOWS, SHADOWS, FLOWING COOL

ALONG THE TRACK, MY PAWS FALL SURE.MOONLIGHT ROAD CUTS STRAIGHT TO QUARRY,WIND TELL TRUE IN NOSE AND FUR.

WOLFLING HUNTER, WILD AND FREE,THROUGH THE WOODS HE RUNS TO FIND

UNKNOWN TRIALS, LOST TO STORY,WHAT REVEALS THIS SCENT TO ME?

PACING ONWARD, MOON-DRAPED, SHY,I SEEK AN UNKNOWN SOUL-MATE GIFT.MY TRAIL SUCCUMBS TO HUMAN SCENT:WHAT IS THIS WITHIN MY MIND?

SO FAR, SO LONG, HAVE I RUN

TO SHARE MY LONELY CRAVING,I SHALL CONTINUE ON THIS ROAD

THOUGH CANIDS FOLLOW, BAYING.

A THOUGHT INTRUDES: SHE THINKS OF

HOW OUR MINDS TOGETHER MERGE,AND SHE LONGS FOR ME TO COME

BEYOND THE MUNDANE SCOURGE.

MOONLIGHT! I HAVE FOUND THE MATE

OF MIND, AND HEARD HER CALL,I CANNOT FALTER NOW, NOR

SHIRK THE MEANING OF IT ALL.

FRIENDSHIP, MIND-LOVE HAVE I FOUND

BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMING.LET HER KNOW THAT I AM HERS

AND DEATH TO MUNDANE SCHEMING.

MARK MY TRAIL, MY LONGEST TRAIL,WITH JOY AND WITH MY HEART,FOR I HAVE FOUND MY WITCH AND

NOW OUR LIVES TOGETHER START."

—COMPOSED BY BARD MIRELLE D’BIRIK

Notes of Mirelle d’Birikaboard the ship "Longmoon" somewhere between Tsol and Myrra, on the Dragon Sea

I’ve tuned my lute as well as I can for the fifth time thismorning. For some reason I’m very restless. They say a sea voy-age is good for a person, but I can’t say this has done anything forme. We’re approaching Bixbee’s Landing, should be there tomor-row.

I keep trying to find the source of my unease, but it’s not sur-facing. It’s beginning to exhaust me as I’m not sleeping well. I’mcertain it’s not this mission Prince Volunmyr sent me on--after all,I’ve done similar things before for him and others. This missionisn’t secret, nor is it life-threatening. I find it interesting in theextreme, gaining knowledge about one of the most secretive cultson this world. So the only thing left to do is persevere, despite myfeelings.

Mirelle closed her trip log, not bothering to blow the ink dry.The wind across the ship’s deck made that unnecessary. She’d set-tled in well to the rhythm of the trip, except for the restlessnessthat had grown with each passing day. There had been only onesmall storm during the entire crossing to worry about and the cap-tain and crew treated her cordially, mostly because she was gener-ous with her musical talents.

She stood, her long pale hair blowing into a curtain behindher despite being knotted tightly into a tail at the nape of her neck.The bard looked past the bow of the ship toward the cloudy-appearing horizon indicating land. Tomorrow...what would tomor-row bring in Myrra?

"Beggin’ pardon, Bard-Mistress Mirelle." She looked downto see the wiry first mate at her elbow. She plucked his name fromher extensive memory.

"Ah, Tonney. Beautiful day, is it not?""It is that, Bard-Mistress Mirelle." Tonney was always for-

mal, using her name and title in respect of her rank and talents."The men were wondering...would you favor us with anothersong? That is, if it’s not interrupting your thoughts."

Mirelle smiled. "Some thoughts need to be interrupted,Tonney. I’d be happy to play for the crew." She turned back towhere her lute rested in its case on the deck. Stripping off the pro-tective covering, she checked the tuning. Still perfect. Glad forsomething to do other than concentrate on the restlessness withinher, Mirelle headed for the afterdeck along with the first mate.

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***She stepped from the "Longmoon" the next afternoon

on the shores of Myrra, in the country of Northlandre to beexact. Bixbee’s Landing was abustling town and Mirellewalked into the stream ofcarts and foot traffic downthe main street, looking for a place where she could get infor-mation that would lead her to the subject of her inquiry. A local innseemed the best spot to try.

There were a handful of them, so she shopped around.Reading the signs hanging outside several such buildings, she chosethe Flame and Candle. The dimness within caused her to halt herjust in the door, where she allowed her eyes to adjust. A fewpatrons sat scattered around the common room in groups of twosand threes. Mirelle walked to the bar.

"Ale, please," she requested of the largish, older womanstacking a mountain of mugs. With a nod, the proprietor flipped amug upright, holding it under the spigot of the tun behind her untilit was full. She plopped the vessel beside the bard’s hands andlooked at her with questions swimming in her blue eyes.

"Are you of the blood?" she asked softly, leaning across thebar.

"Uh, no...no," Mirelle returned, wondering at the peculiargreeting. "I do need some information, though."

The innkeeper stood upright. "Any questions I can answer foryou, I will."

"You may not know anything about this, but I have to startsomewhere. I’m interested in finding out about the witches ofMyrra." The bard couldn’t believe the words had dived so blatantlyoff her tongue. She was usually more subtle. "Can you point me inthe right direction to find one of them?"

The woman’s eyes widened. "What do you want to knowabout them for?"

"I’m making a study." Mirelle swallowed more ale to coverher confusion.

"Ah, you’re the one." The woman touched an unusual neck-lace made of black reflective stone set in silver. It looked like a starwith a circle around it. "I was told to watch for you. I hate to sendyou on immediately, because you’re obviously, mmm...tired. Butyou need to go south to the inn at Coll’s Crossing. Find a scholarnamed Calatin." She nodded. "He’s the one to get you started, youcan’t miss him. He’s always at a table by himself scribbling awayon his notes, and he usually has ink up to his elbows. Oh, and takethis."

The woman ducked behind the bar. Mirelle heard her open awooden box and close it again. She straightened, offering some-thing in her work-reddened fingers. It was a silver wire pendantsimilar to her own, but simpler. A small tumbled chunk of blackreflective stone gleamed from the middle of the star.

The bard frowned and shook her head. "I can’t...""It’ll help you, dearie, I promise. Here, put it on. Put it on." sheshoved it into Mirelle’s hands.

Mirelle took the leather thong and knotted it around herneck. The silver touched her skin, warming instantly.

"Now, don’t take that off. It’s a protection for you. You’llneed it. Excuse me, I have another customer." She hesitated, giv-ing the bard a deep smile. "You’re going to find what you need,

dearie.Enjoylearningthe thingsyou’regoing tolearn. The waywon’t be easy, butthey’ll fill you like noth-ing else does. Good day,and good journey."

Now completely mystified,Mirelle finished her ale andstepped back into the sunlight ofBixbee’s streets. Calatin’s name beatin her head like a gong. She resolved to find him, and set off alongthe street for Coll’s Crossing.

Mirelle and Calatin

A noise current crested over the Crescent-over-Wellside Inntonight, much more than usual. Distracted, the scholar Calatinfrowned, raising his head for the third time from notes scatteredacross the table in the shadowed back corner. He looked around thecommon room. His eyes, used to close work, took a moment toadjust to the slightly smoky look of the place.

While he’d been scribbling, the patrons had filled the room.Townsfolk and country types mingled at stained tables usuallyempty this time of evening. They drank ale and an occasional cupof wine, while the scents of spit-turned meat and roasting vegeta-bles wafted from the kitchen. Some even ordered a late supper.Drummon, the proprietor, scurried everywhere, making trip aftertrip to replenish mugs and bring viands from the kitchen. He was asbusy as Kurilda, the serving woman.

Calatin smiled. She’d always been kind to him, no matterhow long he sat at a table to copy his precious notes.

Raising his hand and nodding, he caught Kurilda’s attention.She plopped down the six tankards she’d been carrying onto a table,traded a final word with the men there, and turned toward him witha curvet worthy of a battle steed, which took her beyond theirunwelcome grabs. She acknowledged orders on her way to his cor-ner with nods and hand gestures, her wide pale sleeve a bird’s wingin the lamplight. She did not stop until she reached his table, target-ing Calatin with a wide smile the whole way. Complimented, heblushed.

"What can I do for you, my fine scholar?" Kurilda said, lean-ing against his table, her hand on top of a parchment detailing the

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language associated with effective spells. He winced. "Something ina bit of fine dalliance, perhaps?"

The rotund scholar’s blush deepened. She knew how toembarrass him all too well. "Um, no, I...I’d like a refill." He pointedto his long-empty tankard.

"Nothing more? You’re certain?" Kurilda teased, her handabandoning the parchment and hovering near his forearm. "Wecould just take a few moments."

"Uh, ummm, oh, what’s going on tonight?""This?" She looked over her shoulder at the crowd.

"Something special. There’s a bard coming.""A bard?""Yes, someone named d’Birik. Just sent word last week. Kind

of unusual--we’re not at all on the paths bards normally travel. Thisis only the second or third time it’s happened since I’ve workedhere. Drummon’s been putting out the word. The whole town andnearly all of the folk from surrounding farms will likely be here.I’d better get back." She swooped up his mug, leaned down, andplanted a loud kiss where his wavy dark brown hair met his broadforehead. Calatin hunched his shoulders and looked down at hisnotes, face flaming, as snickers from nearby tables reached his ears.

"Moondark!" he cursed under his breath after Kurilda turnedaway. "Just what I need! It’ll be so noisy in here I can’t work."He’d frequented the inn because it was near his haunts, and alsobecause it was usually quiet. Shrugging, he got back to his task,dipping his quill in the puddle he’d made with three drops of ale ona pad of dry sooty ink. The stuff smeared his fingers, his hand, andhis pale brown sleeve with the smudged ends of words he’d beentoo impatient to stand and let dry. "Let’s see, where was I?" hemumbled. "Oh yes, the familiars. Ravens, ravens. Where are myraven notes?" He rustled hurriedly through page after page. "Andmy eagle owls?" Calatin began writing again in his cramped butreadable script, not even noticing when Kurilda set down hisrefilled ale.

Quite some time later his elbow touched the tankard. Stilldeep in thought, he put down his pen, stretched his fingers, andallowed them to curl around the mug’s handle. The scholar slurpeda mouthful. After that, despite the growing noise in the inn’s com-mon room, he managed to concentrate on the work before him.

"Are you Calatin?"He jumped, his quill streaking a long, dark trail across the

parchment. Calatin frowned, blotting at the imperfection with hissleeve. He grumbled.

"Are you the scholar?" The voice was female, a dark velvetysoprano. There was music in each word. Calatin blinked up, squint-ing through myopic blue eyes. A tall person stood beside his tablein a long blue cloak. He couldn’t tell if the aura around her headwas the smoky light or just pale hair disturbed by the throwing offof her hood.

"Do you understand the northern tongue? I’m told my accentisn’t that bad." Obviously unused to bringing a student out of deepstudy, she tapped a boot against the floorboards impatiently. "Well,if you can’t communicate, I guess that brings an end to my plans."

Calatin still stared upward at what he considered an appari-tion. Why was this woman interrupting his work? What was shedoing here, anyway? "Ummmm..." he faltered.

"Ah, you can speak, or at least vocalize. That’s hopeful." Sheglanced about the room. Drummond gestured to her from the other

side, near the fireplace. "I have only a few moments before I per-form. I’d hoped to find this Calatin and introduce myself. But,since he seems not to be here, or at least not entirely here..."

She noticed his mug. Lifting it, she drained the ale in swiftswallows; then nodded, as she set the tankard down again. "Thatgets the road dust out of the throat." Turning, she strode away.

"Well!" the scholar fumed. "That’s a nice introduction!"The bard whirled. "So you are Calatin?"He nodded. "But I’m not so sure I want to talk to you."The tall woman smiled. "I think you will.""Depends on what the topic is. I am not free with my infor-

mation." For once in his life, the scholar felt imperious. He gatheredhis most recent notes to his chest, like a goose protecting hergoslings.

She leaned toward him. "Witches," she whispered.He shook his head. "What?""Witches, you dolt! The witches of Myrra! That’s what I need

to talk to you about. I know you’ve been in contact with them.""You do?" He peered at her. "Yes, I do." She pointed at his notes. "I have it on the best

authority that you’ve been studying them for quite some time. Youhappen to be the resident expert. That’s why I need to talk to you."She waved at the innkeeper, who was again gesturing for her to joinhim near the fire. "Just a moment, Drummond. Just a moment." Thebard turned back to Calatin. "I have to perform for the next littlewhile. Perhaps you’ll think of something to say to me when Ireturn." Without waiting for his reply, she strode off through thetables to join the owner of the Crescent-over-Wellside. Tossing offher cloak, the bard removed her lute case from her shoulder, openedit, took out her instrument, and began tuning.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," began the innkeeper proudly."Welcome, welcome. We have a special treat for your entertain-ment. The bard Mirelle d’Birik is gracing the Crescent-over-Wellside with her presence, and she has generously agreed to playfor us. Perhaps she can be persuaded to perform your favoritesongs." Applause followed until Drummond waved it down. "Butyou didn’t come to hear me talk. I give you the Bard Mirelle." Heturned to her, bowed low, and retired.

"Good evening, Gentlefolk," the bard said in a normal-sound-ing voice that carried even to the back corner where Calatin sat. Shesmiled. Teasing, coaxing haunting notes from her lute to tickle theaudience’s ears. The scholar’s twitched.

"Why don’t we start with an old favorite, ‘The Lark in theDell.’" Her fingers began the complicated strains effortlessly, repro-ducing birdsong from the stringed instrument. Her audience hushed,leaned forward, and listened.

Oh, she’s good, thought Calatin, even though her presenceand the disturbance it brought irritated him. It’s been a long timesince a bard this good stopped here. Wonder what she’s reallyafter? He returned to his work.

But he couldn’t help listening. His ears strained toward herlyrics and the bard’s words ensorcelled him, as they did the rest ofthe inn’s patrons. Her well-practiced voice won him over and madehim listen. It sheathed him in her tones, her words, her phrasing, allcarefully chosen to bring him as listener the highest satisfactionpossible.

Calatin shook his head when the bard swung into a fast, easyrendition of "The Weaving Lilt." Maybe I should make bards my

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next study, he thought grumpily. Then he brightened. Exactly! Ofcourse! I can study her now, and while I tell her about the witches...

But he did not really want to tell her about Myrra’s witches.Not about little Lyria and her budding command of flowering

things, nor of Karie’s amazing knowledge of the stars. And therewere dozens more who’d become his friends after getting over theirinitial suspicion. They didn’t let him into their Circles of course, buthe was free to ask questions and gather information. And he’dpromised several archons, the coven leaders, of his discreetness. Hisnotes were his alone. Certainly not to be shared with a stranger, nomatter how well she sang. Who knew what she’d do with the infor-mation? Start a war, perhaps. No, he wouldn’t let that happen!

Calatin shifted his bulk on the short bench. His own writtenwords swam before his eyes. Dropping his pen, he rubbed broadfingers across closed eyelids, and then he let them trail down to hisround cheekbones and backward to his ears. He massaged the achesthere before smoothing his shoulder-length hair behind his ears andpicking up his pen again.

That’s when he noticed the bard was talking about him!"...also with us tonight, hidden back in that corner away from

prying eyes and most distractions, is the scholar Calatin ab’Halla."Mirelle pointed. Dozens of faces turned toward him--dozens ofstrange faces. As the applause of polite acknowledgment, delicateas the first raindrops of a gentle shower, swept the room, he wantedto grab his notes and run. "Perhaps Calatin has a favorite song he’dlike to hear?"

The crowd’s attention sharpened. Calatin wanted to duckunder the table to get away. "Uh, ummmm," he faltered.

Kurilda appeared at the bard’s shoulder. She whispered.Mirelle laughed, strumming her lute. "I’ve just been informed

that Calatin’s favorite song is ‘The Scholar’s Last Desire’. But per-haps that’s too racy to sing here."

The crowd howled disappointment. Calatin’s face burned inreaction. He would never, ever have chosen that song! He’d have todevise some cunning ploy to pay Kurilda back. Thinking about that,he sank his head between hunched shoulders.

"Very well." The bard paused to adjust a tuning peg, thenswung into a wonderfully complicated version of the tune that filledin all the suggestive phrases with sighs, chuckles, grins, and noisykisses which Mirelle planted on the back of her own hand. Whenshe finished, the common room nearly burst with delight.

"Not to your taste?" Mirelle inquired of Calatin as theapproval faded.

"I...ummm, well." The scholar gathered his courage."Actually, ‘Through the Silver Forest’ is my favorite song."

"Ah. Good."Calatin was never sure how she did it, but Mirelle brought the

crowd to sudden silence in a few chords, ready to hear the balladthat was as tragic as the former song had been ribald. When she fin-ished, women openly cried. A number of hardy men tried to hidetears behind gruffness and new orders for ale. Including Calatin.Kurilda first delivered a wooden goblet of the inn’s finest wine tothe bard, who sipped it as she studied her audience.

The unusual entertainment lasted late, and with only onebreak for rest, Mirelle held her audience spellbound the entire time.Calatin renewed the ale on his inkpad to moisten it, pulled over anew piece of parchment, and began scribbling fresh notes with theheading of "Bard."

When Mirelle finished her performance, she packed up herlute, draped her night-dark cloak across her arm, picked up her wine, and wended her way slowly between tables. Everyone wantedto talk to her. Engrossed as usual in his study, Calatin didn’t noticeher presence until she stood next to him.

"Well?"He looked up, squinting again, dragging his mind beyond the

subject on his page. "Well?" She smiled a little. "That’s what I said." Mirelle looked

around for a bench. Farmers at the adjoining table donated one oftheirs after a burly couple thanked her profusely and headed for thedoor. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Calatin sat back, doing just that. "I thinkyou’re very good, Bard Mirelle."

"Yes.""In fact, you’re one of the finest bards I’ve heard. And I’ve

traveled quite a bit.""Thank you." She sat down. Kurilda delivered a trencher of

bread, its hollow center filled with vegetables and steaming chunksof meat in rich herb gravy. The savory scent tickled the scholar’snose, but he had too much to do at the moment to consider eating.That, in itself, was quite unusual.

Mirelle carefully moved a sheaf of his notes lest they bemarred by gravy.

"You should be at a Count’s court, or at least with one of thewealthy landlords anywhere in Myrra. No, anywhere in the world, "he amended. Cocking his head, he looked at his notes. "That makesme wonder why you wish to discuss the...the subject you broughtup earlier." Calatin played with the end of his quill. It tickled hischin as he twisted the other end between stained fingers.

Mirelle ate another dozen mouthfuls before replying, studyingthe scholar. Calatin began feeling uncomfortable again under herdirect regard.

"All right, I like what I’ve heard from you. Let there be onlytruth between us."

The scholar’s eyes widened. That was a witch phrase! Did sheknow the import of what she said?

"I admit that Prince Volunmyr of the Engan Empire sent mehere to study witches," the bard said, pitching her voice for his earsonly. "He’s very much like you, except that he was once ruled awhole kingdom of course. Now in his retirement, he has the timeand money to pursue knowledge, his abiding passion. His mostrecent infatuation is with the witches of Myrra. I am his instrumentfor finding out about them."

Calatin saw the bard’s face change. Not a lot, just the tensingof a few muscles around the eyes and lips. It suddenly struck him.

She’s frightened! he thought, amazed. This talented woman,who can sit in front of a room full of people and sing everythingfrom lusty songs to the most touching ballads, is actually frightenedof something!

He decided to help her. "So you landed on these shores andbegan travelling," he encouraged, as she nibbled a parsnip.

"I did. And as I traveled, something in here began changing."She tapped her chest.

Calatin smiled, victim of a sudden inspiration. "This change,it feels like your blood does strange things?"

Mirelle nodded. "Like it’s boiling sometimes and cold others."

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"You can always hear your heartbeat? You get depressed andlethargic during the dark of the moon? You have extra energy andwant to get everything done at once during the full moon?"

"Yes. Yes! What is it?""Congratulations," the scholar said. "You’re a witch.""I’m a what?" Despite her control, Mirelle’s voice bounced

off the corner walls louder than she’d intended. Several peoplelooked their direction.

"Careful," cautioned Calatin."But that can’t happen, can it?" the bard asked, modulating

her tone. "I’m not even Myrran!""Doesn’t matter. The Craft takes its members from anywhere,

at any time. You are a Chosen of the Goddess Ga-sta now. You areof the blood. How does it feel?" He bit the end of his quill thought-fully. "You know, your musical abilities are probably an offshoot ofyour being a witch. I mean, you would have been a good musician,but the Craft within you helped you be a better one. You justhaven’t known it until now."

She struggled with the concept. "All right," the bard finallysighed, shoving away her unfinished food and sipping wine. "Whatdo I do?"

"Just like that? No more questions about how and why?""No. I want to get to the bottom of this. It’s driving me crazy.

I had difficulty concentrating tonight.""The moon’s waning.""That makes a difference inside a building?" "Oh, yes. The moon’s light or dark reaches witches no matter

where they are. You could be at the bottom of the ocean or deep ina cave and still know what phase of the moon is above the earth.You’re going to have to plan things by moon cycles from now on.And wear a pentacle. Oh, and I nearly forgot the most importantthing."

Mirelle finished her wine, sighing. "What’s that?""The change in your blood is fundamental. It’s different than

it was. From the moment the Goddess decided she wanted youamong her Chosen, you’ve been susceptible to cold iron."

"What does that mean?""It means get rid of anything iron you might possess. Don’t

ride on a saddle decorated with it. Don’t eat anything cooked in it.Most important, don’t get cut by an iron knife or shot by an arrowtipped with iron. If you do, you might not recover." He read herstartled expression correctly. It requested more information. He wasgood at that. "You see, from now on. cold iron will burn you, rightthrough your soul. That’s because of your amended blood. Oh, andwear hematite next to your skin. It’ll help lessen your sensitivity.The longer you wear it, the better."

"This is getting very complicated. Is there anything else?"Mirelle signaled Kurilda to refill her goblet and bring Calatin someas well.

"You won’t believe how much." The scholar spread his handover his notes. "These are just my most recent ones. I have lotsmore."

"It looks like I found the right person." Mirelle’s smile waslopsided, definitely not the confident expression she’d worn earlierthat evening. Calatin waited until Kurilda had brought their wineand turned away before restarting their conversation.

"Thank you, but the only thing I’ve got is information. It’s oflittle use to you as a firthane tyro."

"As a what?""The first rank of witch. You need a teacher, someone of

archon status, to help you through. You need to start a Book ofShadows to record your spells and thoughts. When you find anarchon, she’ll also guide you to discover your shadow name, whichis used only among witches. And you’ll get a familiar, too."

The bard cursed softly. Calatin laughed."I forgot. Your language is about to change also. "Moondark"

is the correct curse at this moment.""So, when do I start this tyro education?""You’ve already started, but we need to get you to the right

people as soon as possible. Some people I know." The scholarbegan gathering his notes.

"You’ll do that?""I am an ethical person." Calatin stopped rustling parchment

and stared at her. "You obviously have no idea what you meantwhen you said there should be only truth between us. With the peo-ple I’ve been studying, that’s a binding oath. And you need help,probably more than any other tyro I’ve heard of because you’re notfrom Myrra." He reached for an oiled leather satchel beneath hisbench, and he began placing his notes inside. "Finish your meal.You’re going to need it. We’ve got a long walk ahead of us."

Mirelle ate quickly, without appetite. She wrapped up whatwas left of the trencher in a linen cloth, and she tucked it in a pock-et on her lute case. By the time Calatin had placed his preciousnotes inside his satchel and slipped the strap over his shoulder,Mirelle had donned her cloak. The neck of her lute case pointedtoward the rafters. He fished in his pouch for a few coins.

"No need. I told Kurilda you were my guest tonight."He looked at her, surprised. "Thank you."She shook her head. "No thanks are necessary. I’d planned on

your helping me. I had no idea it would be to this extent."The two left the Crescent-over-Wellside Inn together, speak-

ing in low voices. A sliver of moonlight lit the quiet village’s road.As soon as they reached the fields beyond the small houses, Mirellestopped.

"What’s wrong?" asked Calatin."I...I don’t know," she replied, turning in a circle. "There’s

something out here, and it’s--no, he’s--lonely and frightened. Andhungry. And...and his feet are…sore?"

"Ah," replied Calatin knowingly. "Give this a little time.You’ll find each other."

He couldn’t suppress a satisfactory chuckle when she pulled ablack and silver wolf youngling from its cover in a hedgerow alongtheir path.

"Oh," Mirelle breathed, connecting at once with her familiar."His mundane name is Kyy." She looked up at Calatin, her armsfull of wriggling pup trying to angle his nose to lick her face. "Whatdid I just say? What does it mean?"

"I’ll explain on the way. Let’s get going. Lucinda’s a longway from here."

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language

"This information is part of what I learned while I was with Calatin’s friend Lucinda, andsome of it I gleaned from the Celestial Sounds Coven," the bard Mirelle told Prince Volunmyr.

"Does every coven have a name?""Usually," she replied. " though I have heard of a few that merely called themselves the

coven of whatever area they reside in, but most of those are young covens—most barely a yearold. The ones that have been working together for several years all have names. Some covens areknown by their shidras, or leader. Some choose a name that fundamentally represents their work;this is particularly true of white covens."

She hesitated a moment, as if collecting her thoughts. The prince waited, reining in hisimpatience for knowledge.

"There’s something you need to know before we go any farther." Mirelle’s gray-blue gazemet his, and he saw memories there. "Much witchcraft and spellcasting is based on language.But language changes over many years: words gain new meanings, and phrases turn from oldto new. So, the farther witches can go back to the original words, the better. They considerthe language that fell from Op’ta-tosep during creation the most pure, and they strive torediscover it. A mundane is at the mercy of witches who know such words, and witchesskilled in the old language can wish a non-practitioner a good day, but really mean the exactopposite."

Volunmyr raised his silver-white eyebrows. "So, you are saying that witches could goaround cursing everyone?"

"Yes. But most do not.""Why?""First, it does them little or no good to lay such smallwork curses on mundanes.

Secondly, each smallwork saps their power. Thirdly, witches have ethics. Well," thebard amended when the wolf stirred, "most of them do."

"Ethics," the prince murmured. "Really, do they?""The ones I met followed a strict code called the Threefold Law, handed down

to them from the Goddess herself. This law requires that they not use their magic todirectly harm others, as they may receive in return three times the harm they bringothers. Following this code grants them the Goddess’ favor; ignoring it brings her ire.I’ve seen this code in action when I observed some white witches aiding the needy,protecting people in danger, and assisting their communities in other beneficial ways.I know that brown witches do much the same, except their focus on maintainingforests and wildlife, which are also important to the surrounding population. Graywitches are basically neutral; they seek balance, and they keep other witches in check;they do whatever their logic leads them to do, considering the situation."

"And black witches, do they follow this same code? Are they not evil?" fin-ished Volynmyr.

"Yes, Sire, they are evil. They have pledged their very souls to the god-dess Ca’di-us, and, as they then draw their magicks from her, she does notrequire her witches to follow such a code; in fact, she prefers that her witchesperform vile, harmful deeds in her name. And, of course, there are other evil

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witches who are not of the black weave and who do not followCa’di-us. These witches either perform their dark deeds byweapons, trickery, poisons, or other methods. If they use theirmagics to harm, and they have not given their soul to Ca’di-us,then they will ultimately lose access to their witchy powers, as agray will most likely kill them, or the Goddess will tear her gift-ed magic from them. I’m afraid that both these types of witcheshave given the others a bad reputation in the eyes of Myrra’s peo-ple. Unfortunately, most folks only associate the evil witches’deeds with the Craft, thereby causing the others to be persecuted.

"Getting back to magic, Sire… The magic of language is atthe root of all witchly power, but the same words do not work forevery witch. All witches are individuals with different needs andvisions. This is why all of them study very hard to find the rightphrase or certain words that will work for their Goddess-giftedmagic. Finding the right words often involves a great deal ofresearch, and witches keep their findings in their personal Bookof Shadows; these grimoires contain each individual’s languagediscoveries and detailed rituals, along with other things that havepersonal meaning. When witches trade information with eachother, they are not exactly trading spells; they are trading keys tounlocking language secrets that may work for other witches,thereby cutting down on possible research time. And the abilityto manipulate these words into magic comes from Ga-sta orCa’di-us, depending on the witch’s nature, so a normal personcannot learn these words and use them to form magic like a wiz-ard does; it’s really in the blood, you might say."

"So, language is that important?" sighed Volunmyr. "I hadno idea. Excellent work, Bard-Mistress Mirelle. Very good,indeed."

Creating a Witch PC

The spirit of the Goddess and the God resides everywhere,and witches have the uncanny ability to tap into this spirit andcraft magic from it. Good witches cultivate this magic for itshealing and other benevolent purposes, while evil witches twistthe spirit to control or harm others.

Adventures: Witches adventure to gain experience andknowledge about the world. Good witches also adventure to helpthose in need, while evil witches seek powerful magic to furthertheir own, or their coven’s, goals and reputation.

Characteristics: Witches have access to divine magic, someof which mimics arcane spells. While they have access to somehealing magic, they do not command the awesome healing pow-ers of their clerical counterparts, nor do they have access toextremely destructive spells like their wizard or sorcerer counter-parts. Good witches prefer more subtle and supportive spells, andeven their evil sisters are conservative with spells that inflictpain; they prefer more supportive or immobilizing spells. This isbecause witches who have not given over their soul to Ca’di-us,the Goddess of Deception, or chosen to become gray witches (seethe Soulless feat in Chapter 3 and the black witch and gray witchprestige classes later in this chapter), are subject to a karmicThreefold Law, which states that a witch’s actions, for good orill, come back to her threefold within her lifetime.

Alignment: Witches may be of any alignment, though mostare good or neutral. Witches are often more chaotic than lawful.

Good and neutral witches follow a code that prohibits them fromharming individuals directly with their spells. Their code is simple:"Do what you will, but harm none." Of course, witches can sum-mon protective forces, immobilize enemies, or cast supportivespells, but they avoid spells that directly inflict damage, and theymust be careful with mind-controlling spells, lest they be deemedharmful and subject to a karmic reaction (see Table 1—1: BadKarma below). Evil witches who have given their souls over toCa’di-us honor no such code, and they, therefore, have limitedaccess to some destructive spells.

Religion: Good witches devote themselves to the Myrrangoddess Ga-sta ‘tosep-di, often called simply the Goddess, andthey deeply respect the Creator, Op’ta-tosep, often called simplythe God. These deities’ combined aspects form Nature itself, sodruids, who sometimes work closely with witches, inadvertentlypay homage to them as well. Evil witches have given themselvesover to the dark goddess Ca’di-us.

Background: Most witches belong to organizations calledcovens, which number up to thirteen members. Some witcheseschew such structure, preferring to relate to the deities as a lone,spiritual individual. These individual witches are called Solitairesor Solis.

While all good and neutral witches recognize each other asbrother and sister, coven members tend to stick to their covenerswhen it comes to matters of assistance and trust, and each covenguards its rituals and secret knowledge from other witches. Covenwitches particularly distrust Solitaires, and they have little under-standing for those who prefer to stand alone in the world, whenthey could gain such strength in numbers.

A coven witch may be called upon to perform services forhigher-ranking coven members, though monetary payment forthese services need not be expected; witches usually repay oneanother in kind. Lower-ranking witches may also call upon higher-ranking witches for aid under similar "understood" terms.Solitaires may likewise seek aid from other Solitaires with thepromise of future assistance; coven witches, even those of goodcovens, often shun such requests from Solitaires, though there areoccasional exceptions.

Witches generally live in small towns with close access tothe forests or caves of the wilderness, where they generally per-form their rituals in seclusion.

Races: Witches include members of all common races, buthumans, jawnee (elves), and tsai’n (half-elves) are the most preva-lent. Monster races like medusas and hags often become witchesdevoted to Ca’di-us.

Other Classes: In an adventuring party, witches assist thegroup in supportive ways. They use their wisdom to guide others,their healing abilities to ensure survival, and they use their otherspells to divine knowledge. Witches get along well with druids, asboth groups respect and protect nature. Clerics and witches oftendo not see eye to eye, as clerics garner some distrust for witchesbecause they claim to gain their power from the gods, but to theoutside eye, they seem very much like dangerous, pagan sorcerers.Witches find clerics too preachy and too dogmatic. Some witchesfear paladins for their passionate, black and white ideas aboutmorality and goodness. Such zeal can, and often does, lead tounwarranted persecutions.

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GAME RULE INFORMATION

Witches have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a witchcan cast, how many spells the witch can cast per day, and how hardthose spells are to resist. To cast a spell, a witch must have aWisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level. A witch gets bonus spellsbased on Wisdom. The Difficulty Class (DC) of a saving throwagainst a witch’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the witch’s Wisdommodifier.

Since a witch may only wear light armor, a high Dexterityimproves her defensive ability.

Alignment: Witches can be of any alignment.Hit Dice: d8

Class SkillsThe witch’s class skills (and the key abilities for each skill) are

Alchemy (Int), Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft(Int), Craft (witch tools)(Int), Detect Familiar (Wis), Detect Taint(Wis), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Handle Animal (Cha), Harvest(Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (divination)(Int), Knowledge(nature)(Int), Knowledge (religion)(Int), Knowledge(witchcraft)(Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ritual (Wis,exclusive skill), Ride Broom (Dex), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), SenseMotive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int Modifier) X 4Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int Modifier

* Witches, of any race, add +1 skill points per level if theybelong to a coven.

Class FeaturesAll of the following are features of the witch class.

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Witches are proficient withall simple weapons and light armor, but not shields. Note that armorcheck penalties apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist,Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swimchecks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equip-ment carried.

Armor does not interfere with a witch’s ability to cast spells,so witches can expend level feats on heavier armor proficiency featswithout penalty, if they so desire. Wearing armor for which he or sheis not proficient makes the witch subject to the appropriate (depend-ing upon the specific armor worn) armor check penalty on all attackrolls and on all skill rolls that involve moving, including the Ride orRide Broom skill.

Spells: A witch casts divine spells according to Table 1—4,though some witch spells mimic spells normally found on arcanespell lists. A witch’s spell selection is limited. A witch begins playknowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the player’schoice. At each level, the witch gains one or more new spells, asindicated on Table 1—5: Witch Spells Known (a witch’s Wisdombonus, if any, does not affect the number of known spells). Thewitch can choose common spells listed on the witch’s spell list, orshe can learn a new spell, possibly one on an arcane or divine listshe currently does not have access to, by visualizing its affects andtapping into the Goddess and God’s spirit around her.

A witch is limited to casting a certain number of spells of eachlevel per day, but she need not prepare them ahead of time (seeTable 1—4: Witch Spells Per Day). Her Wisdom bonus, if any,improves the number of spells she may cast.

A witch may use a higher-level spell slot to cast a lower-levelspell if she chooses. A witch may also use her special combine abili-ty to join her coven members (or join forces with Nature) to castmore powerful spells or cast spells as if she were a higher level (seeCombined Witch Ritual Magic, Chapter 4).

Witch Code: As stated under Alignment above, good and neu-tral witches follow a code that prohibits them from harming individu-als directly with spells. Their code states: "Do what you will, but harmnone." Adhering to this code requires that witches not cast spells thatdirectly cause damage. Witches can defend themselves, however, andthey can summon protective forces, immobilize enemies, and cast sup-portive spells. In this regard, witches use summoned creatures as adefensive measure, meaning they do not summon them unlessattacked. Witches need not extend this courtesy to supernaturally evilcreatures like demons or devils, however, or to any creature for whoman ‘Always Evil’ alignment is specified. If they make an error, forexample if a polymorph other spell or illusionary magic has been usedto create the appearance of an evil being, the witch would be absolvedof wrongdoing should she attack, although she may find herself hav-ing to explain her actions and motivations to a gray witch (see thegray witch prestige class later in this chapter).

Evil witches who serve Ca’di-us need not make such rolls;their goddess does not punish or reward through karmic actions—they may find themselves on the unlucky end of a good adventurer’ssword, however.

As good and neutral witches are subject to the Threefold Law,which states that a witch’s actions, for good or ill, come back to herthreefold within her lifetime, harming others directly with spells likeinflict minor wounds, requires the GM make a roll on the BadKarma Table for the witch, even if the spell was cast without mali-cious intent. If this is not the witch’s first offense, the GM shouldadd a +1 to the roll for every previous transgression. If the spell wascast in a desperate act to save another (not herself), then the GM cansubtract 1 or 2 from the roll, depending on the circumstances. Thekarma roll’s effects need not take place immediately. Likewise, if thewitch does something truly selfless and beneficial to mankind as awhole, the GM should roll on the Good Karma Table. The GM canadd +1 to the roll for every truly selfless deed the witch performedin the past. If the GM feels the player is not sincere in playing thecharacter in a selfless manner, she need not adjust such rolls.

Table 1—1: Roll d10: Bad Karma Table

1-2: No effect.3-6: The witch suffers a –3 to all her attacks, skill checks, dam-

age rolls, and spell saving throw DCs for 1d6 x 3 days.7-9: The witch loses access to her spells and special abilities for

1d10 x 3 days.10-11: The witch loses access to her spells and special abilities

for 1d20 x 3 days. 12-14: The witch loses all access to her spells and special abilities

until she atones for her actions (see atonement spell).15+: The witch permanently loses her powers and even atone-

ment, limited wish, and wish will not restore them.

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Table 1—2: Roll d10: Good Karma Table

1-2: No effect.3-6: The witch gains a +3 to all saving throws and skill

checks for 1d6 x 3 days.7-9: The witch gains temporary access to a witch spell of one

level higher than the maximum spell level she is ordi-narily allowed for 1d10 x 3 days (choose randomly orallow the witch to choose).

10-11: The witch gains temporary access to a witch spell of onelevel higher than the maximum spell level she is ordi-narily allowed for 1d20 x 3 days (choose randomly orallow the witch to choose).

12-14: The witch gains temporary hit points as per the aid spelland adds +1 to all saving throws and skill checks for aslong as she remains in good karmic standing.

15+: The GM chooses one of the following: The witch’sWisdom is raised permanently by 1, she can request 3miracles of her deities, or, if she died as a result of thisdeed, she can automatically reincarnate as a person ofthe same race and level (i.e. the normal randomicity ofthis spell does not apply).

Iron Susceptibility: A witch’s blood is highly susceptible to‘cold’ or pure iron. Any attack with an iron weapon (be it sword,dagger, or nail) does an extra +2 points of damage per blow to awitch. In addition, the witch must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) orshe loses access to her witch powers for 1d10 hours after the attack.Wearing hematite allows the witch a +1 bonus to this save. Even ifthe witch succeeds, the iron’s contact with her blood makes it hardfor her to concentrate on casting spells, and she needs to make a suc-cessful Concentration check (DC 12) each time she attempts to casta spell thereafter for as long as she remains in contact with the iron,or for 1d10 rounds after having come in contact with cold iron. Ifthis Concentration check fails, the spell fails and the witch loses itjust as if she had cast it to no effect.

Create Focus: With a successful Ritual check (DC 10)(seeWitch Skills in Chapter 3), a witch can imbue a personally hand-crafted item with some of her spirit to attract the Goddess and God’sspirit. All witches must use this ability to create a Book of Shadows(see the Creating a Book of Shadows sidebar), a personal account ofthe wisdom gained from experiencing the Goddess and God. A witchmust remain close to her Book of Shadows (at least within 1 mileper every 4 witch levels, including witch prestige class levels; thus a5th-level witch would need to be within 2 miles of her book, while a2nd-level witch must remain within 1 mile of hers), or she mustmake a Concentration check (DC 15) to cast any witch spell. Even ifsuccessful, the witch suffers a –1 morale penalty to her spells’ savingthrow DCs, nor may she add her Wisdom bonus to the spell’s DC,and she can no longer gain additional spells allowed by her Wisdombonus. If a witch permanently loses her Book of Shadows, she mustmake a Ritual check (DC 25) to create a new one. As some of herspirit was lost in the first Book of Shadow’s creation, any spell shecasts with a Book of Shadows other than the first, and that targetsanother, suffers a –1 to its DC (cumulative for every additional bookcreated beyond the first), though she may still add her Wisdom

bonus. Performing an atonement (as per the spell) may release thisnegative energy from the unfortunate witch, bringing her modifiedDC back to normal. If the witch’s Book of Shadows is destroyed,and the witch does not replace it, she suffers the penalties describedfor being out of radius of her book (see above); if she does not crafta new book within 3 months, she eventually loses all ability to castwitch magic, and she may only regain this ability through an atone-ment followed by creation of a new tome.

Creating a Book of Shadows

There comes a time, early in every witch’s career, when she needsto begin her own personal Book of Shadows. This mystical tome willbe used to record a personal journal as she grows and develops as awitch, as well as serve as a collection of her thoughts, dreams andinsights, spells, and rituals.

To begin a Book of Shadows, the witch must first acquire suitablematerials. The book itself should be of as good quality as the witch canafford, and made of natural materials – parchment or papyrus boundin wood or leather. It is rare to find any metal on a Book of Shadows,although the leather or wood of the binding may be carved and paint-ed if the witch so desires. It is unlikely that the cost of the book (or thenecessary materials for the many witches who prefer to actually maketheir own book from scratch) will be less than 15 gp. Such a book con-tains 100 pages and weighs about 3 lbs.

Due to the personal nature of a witch’s Book of Shadows, however,she cannot go out and purchase a book and just start writing. First,she must use the special power Create Focus (gained as a 1st-levelwitch, see the witch class in this chapter) to imbue the tome she wishesto use with some of her own personal power, and, through a Ritualcheck (DC 10), to receive the Goddess’ blessing on her work. Thistakes a full day to accomplish. Witches who are part of a Coven areoften assisted by their fellow coveners, the entire day taking on theaspect of a festival, a celebration as she takes this first important stepalong her development in her Craft. A similar ceremonial is involvedwhen a coven decides to create a communal Book of Shadows to sharetheir collective insights, although it must be remembered that individ-ual members of the coven will still maintain their own Books as a per-sonal record, and it is this personal Book that is necessary for effectivespellcasting (see the witch class in this chapter).

Like a wizard’s spells, each of a witch’s spells occupies about 2pages of the book per spell level (with 0-level spells occupying but 1page). However, to allow for the recording of all the other materialthat witches tend to write in their Books of Shadow – anything fromdreams and ideas, to rituals and recipes for candle-making and herbalremedies – a good rule of thumb is to allow 4 pages per spell level,and 2 pages for each 0-level spell recorded. The material cost of writ-ing each page is 100 gp, including ink and other supplies. It takes oneday plus one day per spell level to complete the necessary notes.Unlike other spellcasters, witches do not use ‘special’ scripts to recordtheir thoughts and notes, although their records are often of such apersonal nature that they are well nigh unintelligible to anyone elsewho might glance through the pages. Note that despite the fact that thewitch records her spells in her Book of Shadows, she does not need toprepare spells from it each day as a wizard does (see the Spellcastingsection of the witch class in this Chapter for more details concerninghow a witch casts spells).

Book of Shadows Construction--From the notes of tyro firthane Mirelle d’Birik

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"A witch without a Book of Shadows is missing most of her sub-stance." That quote comes from Janerelle Tomarek, yirthanan of theGreat Oaks coven of brown witches.

I have already tried this twice, without success. But I will tryagain, and again, and again until I have my Book in my hands.

A witch must meditate for up to three days beforehand. Herfamiliar is required for this work, because this partner may be calledupon to bring the Book to her occasionally (if the familiar has thatability). Lighting candles of determination and consistency at thefour directions may also help. The witch must concentrate on whatshe wants, developing a clear portrait of it within her mind. And shemust remember this description exactly, because it is necessary whencalling her Book of Shadows into being.

When she feels she is ready, the witch places her personal powerstones at five equidistant points on a floor cleaned by her salt-puri-fied broom. The floor should be made preferably of rock or packeddirt, and sit in a private place. Only a coven can call forth a com-munal Book of Shadows.

Standing in the middle of the stones, the witch draws a pentaclein a circle with white powdered chalk mixed with sage, rosemary,and other herbs relating to memory, acuity of mind, and ability. Hermost powerful familiar stands with her, helping her concentrate. Shewhispers the description of her Book as she draws the lines andwhen finished, the witch kneels in the midst of the pentacle with herfamiliar, and intones the following:

"BOOK OF SHADOWS, COME TO MY HANDS.UNLOCK YOUR PAGES FOR MY HEART TO DISCOVER.MY MIND, MY SOUL, MY POWER THERE BE

WITHIN YOUR PROTECTED COVERS.

"I WILL YOUR APPEARANCE NOW, SACRED BOOK.HOLD MY WORK FOREVER.COME AT MY CALL, MY PARTNER YOU’LL BE,THIS LINK ONLY DEATH DOES SEVER."

If the witch says this with clear intent and honest feeling, herindividual Book of Shadows should appear in her hands. Should herwords be wrong, her pentacle not perfectly drawn, her imaginationof the Book itself faulty, or if something as tiny as a gnat violates theborder of her circle, the working dies. The witch must clear awaythe chalk and herbs with her broom, and bury the remains reverentlywith salt. She may then try again in two weeks.

Additional note by Mirelle:This works--after two failures, Kyy and I did it!

The witch can also use this focus power to create an athame,charge candles (see the Candle Magic feat in Chapter 3), empowergemstones or fetish/charm items (though she must have the appro-priate feat as well), and empower witch balls (see Chapter 4 formore details on fetishes, charms and witch balls). A witch must useher Craft (witch tools) skill to create these items, as she can onlyimbue personally handcrafted items with the proper magic, and shemust roll a Rituals check (DC 15) to successfully empower theseitems. In addition, creating fetishes, charms and witch ballsrequires even further work (see Chapter 4 for details). Aside fromtheir other uses, which depend upon the item in question, using

focused items in rituals or as spell components adds +1 to theRitual check and/or the spell’s resulting DC. Unless a witch uses afocused item to forge a magical item to be used by another, where-by she releases her bonded spirit from it, only the witch who creat-ed the focused item gains any bonus from its use, as only her spiritis attuned to it.

Familiar: A witch can summon a familiar in exactly thesame manner as a sorcerer (see the sorcerer description in Chapter3 of the PHB), though unlike in the case of those spellcasters, thewitch has far less say over what kind of creature appears. Witchesare compensated for this fact in that their familiars are moreunique than those typically found n the service of sorcerers (seeChapter 6 for details).

Combine: At 2nd-level, witches gain the ability to combinetheir magic with other witches of the same level or above to castspells. When they combine in such a manner, the initiating witch(usually the highest-level witch in the group) adds the participants'energy force to the casting, which allows her to cast any knownspell as if she were a higher-level witch (see Combined WitchRitual Magic in Chapter 4). Successfully combining witch magiccan also allow the initiating witch access to spells the she doesn'tknow, including higher level ones that she would normally nothave access to, and it gives her access to special spells called truerituals, divine spells that can only be cast by a combined group(see True Rituals in Chapter 4).

A coven witch may combine her magic with other witches ofher coven or witches of like color (see witch prestige classes laterin this chapter), while a solitaire may only combine her magic withwitches of like color or with the force of Nature (the Goddess andGod’s spirit). Witches use the Ritual skill (see Ritual skill inChapter 3) to combine spells or tap into the forces of Nature. SeeCombined Witch Ritual Magic in Chapter 4 for more informationon hold this works.

Attract: At 3rd level, the witch gains the uncanny ability toattract things to her or affect future events. A witch may use thisability once per week per every 5 witch levels she possesses,including witch prestige class levels. This ability requires a suc-cessful Ritual check, as the witch must perform a ritual to createthe necessary harmonious energy needed for change. Witches oftenuse candle magic to garner such energy, using the appropriate col-ored candle to attract the type of energy they desire. The GM mustdecide on the DC level needed to succeed for each request. Forinstance, if a destitute witch finds herself in need of money to pur-chase supplies for a good-intentioned mission, the GM mightassign a Ritual check of DC 12. If she succeeds, she might acci-dentally find some money, inherit some, or be offered a job thatjust happens to pay the exact amount of money she needs. Or, anevil witch might desire to possess a certain magical wand. The GMassigns a DC 22 for her to attract that item to her. If she succeeds,her party might encounter another group who has a member thatjust happens to possess such a wand. Of course, getting it at thatpoint would require an attack, an offer to purchase, or a theft.

GMs should raise the DC of outrageous requests to impossi-ble or near-impossible levels, and they should assign penalties tothings that seem selfish or harmful. If the witch’s request benefitsgreater mankind, then at least a +2 bonus should be applied.Witches who have not given their souls over to Ca’di-us or becomegray witches must be very careful what they ask for, as they are

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TABLE 1—3: The Witch

Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 0 +2 +0 +2 Create Focus, Summon Familiar, 2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Combine 3 +2 +3 +1 +3 Attract 4 +3 +4 +1 +4 Resist nature's lure 5 +3 +4 +1 +4 1st Circle Magic 1/day 6 +4 +5 +2 +5 1st Circle Magic 2/day 7 +5 +5 +2 +5 2nd Circle Magic 1/day 8 +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 2nd Circle Magic 2/day 9 +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 3rd Circle Magic 1/day 10 +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 3rd Circle Magic 2/day 11 +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 4th Circle Magic 1/day 12 +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 4th Circle Magic 2/day 13 +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 5th Circle Magic 1/day 14 +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 Longevity 15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 A Thousand Faces16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12

TABLE 1—4: Witch Spells Per Day

—————————————— Spells per Day ——————————————Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 5 3 — — — — — — — —2 6 4 — — — — — — — —3 6 5 — — — — — — — — 4 6 6 3 — — — — — — —5 6 6 4 — — — — — — —6 6 6 5 3 — — — — — —7 6 6 6 4 — — — — — —8 6 6 6 5 3 — — — — —9 6 6 6 6 4 — — — — —10 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — — —11 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — — —12 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — —13 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — —14 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — —15 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — —16 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 —17 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 —18 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 319 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 420 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Spells: A witch casts divine spells. A witch does not need to prepare these spells ahead of time. To cast a spell, a witch must have aWisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. The DC for a saving throw against a witch’s spell is 10 + the spell's level + thewitch’s Wisdom modifier + any focused item bonuses (see Focus above). Good witches should not cast spells that directly inflictharm, such as inflict minor wounds, as such actions may have dire consequences (see Table 1—1: Bad Karma).

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subject to the Threefold Law: a witch’s actions, for good or ill, are returned three-fold within her current lifetime.

Resist Nature's Lure: Starting at 4th level, a witch gains a +4 bonus to savingthrows against the spell-like abilities of feys (such as dryads, nymphs, and sprites).

Circle Magic: Starting at 5th-level, a witch can tap into special divine spells (seeCircle Magic, Chapter 4).

Longevity: At 14th level, the witch gains the supernatural ability to slow heraging. From then on, she ages 1 year for every 5 that pass. Additionally, she no longersuffers ability penalties for aging (see Chapter 6 of the PHB for details) and cannot bemagically aged. Any penalties she may have already suffered, however, remain in place.Note that though the witch no longer suffers the penalties of aging, the positive bonusesstill accrue.

A Thousand Faces: At 15th level, a witch gains the supernatural ability tochange his or her appearance at will, as if using the alter self spell (see Chapter11 of the PHB).

Ex-Witches:A witch who has not turned to Ca’di us, and who ceases to revere the

goddess and the god, loses all spells and witch abilities and cannot gain levelsas a witch until she atones (see atonement spell description). Evil witches ceas-ing to revere Ca’di-us suffer the same fate.

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TABLE 1—5: Witch Spells Known

—————————————— Spells per Day ——————————————Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 4 2 — — — — — — — —2 5 2 — — — — — — — —3 5 3 — — — — — — — —4 6 3 1 — — — — — — —5 6 4 2 — — — — — — —6 7 4 2 1 — — — — — —7 7 5 3 2 — — — — — —8 8 5 3 2 1 — — — — —9 8 5 4 3 2 — — — — —10 9 5 4 3 2 1 — — — —11 9 5 5 4 3 2 — — — —12 9 5 5 4 3 2 1 — — —13 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 — — —14 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 — —15 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 — —16 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1 —17 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 —18 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 119 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 220 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

Spells: A witch casts divine spells. The number of spells a witch knows is not affected by her Wisdom bonus. The spells a witchknows can be chosen from the Witch Spells Per Day list (see Table 1—4: Witch Spells Per Day). A witch is limited to casting a certain number of spells of each level per day, but she need not prepare her spells in advance. The

number of spells she can cast per day is improved by her bonus spells (due to Wisdom), if any. A witch may use a higher-level slot to cast a lower-level spell if she so chooses. The spell is still treated as its actual level, not the

level of the slot used to cast it. To cast a spell, a witch must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Classfor saving throws against witch’s spells is 10 + the spell's level + the witch’s Wisdom modifier.

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Witch Prestige Classes

BLACK WITCH

Black witches revere the dark goddess Ca’di-us, and they doher bidding. The black witch’s creed is: "Do as thou will," with noconcern as to whether it harms others; in fact, the dark deity revelsin evil and destructive deeds, so she does not karmically punish hersubjects for such actions. Evil witches who have not given them-selves over as black witches to Ca’di-us are still subject to theThreefold Law (see witch class earlier in this chapter). Ca’di-usrequires one’s soul to protect a witch from the karmic code. Upondying, a black witch cannot be raised, as her soul goes to Ca’di-us.In order to raise or resurrect such a witch, someone would have tomake a dark deal with the goddess.

Black witches freely use pain-inflicting spells, mind-control-ling spells, and curses. Additionally, black witches enjoy studyingand controlling extraplanar, supernatural evils.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Hit Dice: d8.

Requirements— Alignment: Any evil.— Feats: Soulless.— Ritual: 6 ranks.— Intimidate: 6 ranks.— Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 3rd-level witch spells.— Special: Must practice an annual dark rite to renew their

fealty to Ca'di-us.

CLASS SKILLS:The black witch’s class skills (and the key abilities for each

skill) are Alchemy (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft(Int), Craft (witch tools)(Int), Detect Familiar (Wis), Detect Taint(Wis), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo(Wis), Knowledge (religion)(Int), Knowledge (witchcraft)(Int),Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ritual (Wis, exclusive skill),Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Ride Broom (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis),Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

* Black witches of any race add +1 skill points per level ifthey belong to a coven (this is in addition to the bonus skill pointthat is gained for being human).

CLASS FEATURESAll of the following are class features of the black witch

prestige class.Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Black witches are profi-

cient with simple weapons and light armor, but not with shields.Note that armor check penalties apply to the skills Balance, Climb,Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, andTumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 poundsof armor and equipment carried.

Spellcasting: When a black witch gains a new level, shegains new spells per day as if she had gained a level in witch (see

the new witch class at the beginning of this chapter). She does not,however, gain any other benefits of raising a level in the witchcharacter class. This essentially means that she only adds the levelof black witch to her witch level to determine spells per day, spellsknown, and caster level accordingly.

Iron Susceptibility: Black witches remain susceptible to ironas per the witch class (see earlier in this chapter).

Karmic Balance: For giving over their souls to Ca’di-us, thegoddess protects her dark followers from gaining bad karma fortheir evil deeds, as she becomes the source of their power, not theGoddess and God (see the Soulless feat in Chapter 3 for details).

Summon Darkness: At 1st level, black witches gain thespell-like ability to summon magical darkness, as per the darknessspell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB), once per day per Wisdombonus. Thus, a black witch with 14 Wisdom would be able to usethe darkness spell-like ability twice a day.

Inflict Critical Wounds: Black witches have access to theclerical inflict critical wounds spell once per day. They gain thisability at 2nd level and thereafter gain additional uses per day ofthe inflict critical wounds spells at 3rd and 6th levels. Black witch-es cause 4d8 points of damage +2 points per caster level, includingher witch levels (up to +40), using this spell, but it is otherwisetreated exactly as outlined in Chapter 11 of the PHB.

Essence Drain: Starting at 3rd-level, black witches gain thespell-like ability to steal a subject’s life force once per day. Thisenergy drain bestows negative levels on a target, as per the enerva-tion spell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB), except that a black witchcan bestow 1d4+1 negative levels, instead of the normal 1d4. At7th level, the black witch can use this power twice per day.

Harm: Starting at 5th level, a black witch can cause greatharm to individuals, as per the harm spell once per day (seeChapter 11 of the PHB). The black witch gains an additional useper day of this spell-like ability at 8th level.

Destructive Essence: At 6th level, a black witch can callupon the dark goddess’ essence. Summoning the goddess’ essenceallows the black witch to call forth any 1st to 5th level damage-causing or destructive spell. The black witch can call on thisessence once per day per Wisdom bonus. These spells are not inaddition to the witch’s current spell complement; so she must usean existing spell slot for any called spells. The desired spell cancome from any divine or arcane list the GM allows. Thus, a blackwitch could feasibly cast fireball, lightning bolt, or flame strike.For purposes of spell damage and duration, etc., the black witchcombines her witch and black witch spell levels; no other spell-caster levels apply. At 9th level, the witch may call forth herWisdom bonus x 2 of destructive spells to replace normal spells inher spell slots. At 10th level, the witch may call forth her Wisdombonus x 3 destructive spells. The destructive spell takes up a slotequivalent to its normal spell level. Regardless of what level theblack witch is, she may not call forth more destructive powers perday than she has open spell slots remaining.

Greater Essence Drain: At 10th level, a black witch gainsthe spell-like ability to steal even more of a subject’s life force.This energy drain bestows negative levels on a target, as per theenergy drain spell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB), except that a blackwitch can bestow 2d4+1 negative levels, instead of the normal 2d4.The black witch can use this power once per day.

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BROWN WITCH

Brown witches are the ‘Keepers of Nature’ and they may oftenbe mistaken for druids, with whom they share similar goals. Thesewitches protect the land from those that would ravage it. Like druids,they must maintain a neutral outlook, accepting that nature encom-passes opposing forces like life and death, peace and violence. Thus,brown witches try to walk the middle path when able. They dofiercely oppose aberrations of nature, however; and they have noqualms about harming undead and unnatural creatures that threatentheir homes.

Brown witches avoid living in large towns and cities, as theseplaces keep them away from the wilderness they love. Most residealone in the woods, in small villages, or in very small border towns.As they usually have animal companions, they do not live in placesthat do not offer these companions an element of roaming freedom.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Hit Dice: d8.

Requirements— Alignment: Any neutral.— Ritual: 6 ranks.— Wilderness Lore: 6 ranks.— Feat: Animal Friend.— Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 3rd-level witch spells.

Class Skills:The brown witch’s class skills (and the key abilities for each

skill) are Alchemy (Int), Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration(Con), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Craft (witch tools) (Int), DetectFamiliar (Wis), Detect Taint (Wis), Diplomacy (Cha), HandleAnimal (Cha), Harvest (Wis), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge(nature)(Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge(witchcraft)(Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis),Ritual (Wis, exclusive skill), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Ride Broom(Dex), Spot (Wis), Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

* Brown witches of any race add +1 skill points per level ifthey belong to a coven (this is in addition to the bonus skill pointthat is gained for being human).

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the brown witch pres-

tige class.Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Brown witches are proficient

with simple weapons and light armor, but not with shields. Note thatarmor check penalties apply to the skills Balance, Climb, EscapeArtist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also,Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor andequipment carried.

Spellcasting: When a brown witch gains a new level, shegains new spells per day as if she had gained a level in witch (seethe new witch class at the beginning of this chapter). She does not,however, gain any other benefits of raising a level in the witch char-acter class. This essentially means that she only adds the level ofbrown witch to her witch level to determine spells per day, spellsknown, and caster level accordingly.

Witch Code: Brown witches remain subject to the witch codeoutlined under the witch class (see earlier in this chapter).

Iron Susceptibility: Brown witches remain susceptible to ironas per the witch class (see earlier in this chapter).

Nature Sense: At 1st level, a brown witch can identify plantsand animals (their species and special traits) with perfect accuracy.The brown witch can also determine whether water is safe to drinkor dangerous.

Woodland Stride: Starting at 1st level, a brown witch maymove through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similarterrain at her normal speed and without suffering damage or otherimpairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that areenchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect thebrown witch.

Trackless Step: Starting at 2nd level, a brown witch leaves notrail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.

Wild Shape: At 3rd level, a brown witch gains the spell-likeability to polymorph self (see Chapter 11 of the PHB) into a Smallor Medium-size animal (but not a dire animal) and back again once

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Table 1—6: The Black WitchBaseAttack Fort Ref Will

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Summon darkness +1 level of witch class2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Inflict critical wounds 1/day +1 level of witch class3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Essence drain 1/day +1 level of witch class4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Inflict critical wounds 2/day +1 level of witch class5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Harm 1/day +1 level of witch class6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Destructive essence +1 level of witch class7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Drain essence 2/day +1 level of witch class8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Harm 2/day +1 level of witch class9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Destructive essence +1 level of witch class10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Destructive essence, Greater +1 level of witch class

essence drain

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per day. Unlike the standard use of the spell, however, a brownwitch may only adopt one form. As stated in the spell description,the brown witch regains hit points as if she has rested for a day. Abrown witch does not risk the standard penalty for being disorientedwhile in the wild shape. A brown witch can use this ability an addi-tional time per day at 5th and 8th levels.

Call Ally: Starting at 4th level, a brown witch has the spell-like ability to call to 6 HD of creatures to her once per day, as perthe summon nature’s ally VI spell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB). At

6th level, she may use this ability twice per day.Nature Speak: At 7th level, a brown witch gains the extraordi-

nary ability to communicate with nature (plants, animals, and stone)without aid of a spell. Brown witches cannot communicate withbeasts, magical beasts, or vermin using this ability.

Control Weather: At 9th level, a brown witch gains the spell-like ability to control weather, as per the spell (see Chapter 11 of thePHB). She may use this ability twice per day at 10th level.

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Table 1—7: The Brown WitchBaseAttack Fort Ref Will

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Nature sense, +1 level of witch class

woodland stride2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Trackless step +1 level of witch class3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Wild shape 1/day +1 level of witch class4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Call ally 1/day +1 level of witch class5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Wild shape 2/day +1 level of witch class6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Call ally 2/day +1 level of witch class7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Nature speak +1 level of witch class8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Wild shape 3/day +1 level of witch class9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Control weather 1/day +1 level of witch class10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Control weather 2/day +1 level of witch class

GRAY WITCH

Gray witches are often called "Keepers of Justice" or "Keepersof the Word." Although they are usually coven members, gray witch-es socialize little. Some Solitaires have been known to take up thegray robes of this prestige class, and, strangely enough, coven witch-es often revere gray Solitaires and offer them hospice as if they werevisiting dignitaries.

Grays have a love of learning, and they seek the truth in allmatters. For this reason, other witches turn to them to settle disputesand to deliver justice. They are the only neutral witches not subjectto the Threefold Law, as they give up their desires to do good or evilto serve the Goddess and God in all matters of judgment and atone-ment; only grays can offer other witches atonement. They take theirresponsibilities seriously, as they see themselves as tools of the gods.

Witches take a vow of poverty and fairness upon becominggray witches, as they must keep all their desires in check to properlyserve the Goddess and God. Failing to follow these codes results inthe temporary (can be atoned) or even permanent loss of all graywitch powers.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Hit Dice: d8.

Requirements— Alignment: Lawful neutral.— Two Knowledge Skills (of which one must be Knowledge:

Law): 6 ranks each. — Ritual: 6 ranks.

— Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd-level witch spells.— Special: Must be initiated in a cleansing ceremony per-

formed by another gray witch, and must take a vow of poverty andfollow a code of fairness.

Class SkillsThe gray witch’s class skills (and the key abilities for each

skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Craft(witch tools)(Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), DetectFamiliar (Wis), Detect Taint (Wis), Diplomacy (Cha), GatherInformation (Cha), Knowledge (nature)(Int), Knowledge(religion)(Int), Knowledge (witchcraft)(Int), Knowledge (all skills),Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ritual (Wis, exclusive skill), Scry(Int, exclusive skill), Ride Broom (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive(Wis), Speak Language.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

* Gray witches of any race add +1 skill points per level if theybelong to a coven (this is in addition to the bonus skill point that isgained for being human).

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the gray witch pres-

tige class.Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gray witches are proficient

with simple weapons and light armor, but not with shields. Note thatarmor check penalties apply to the skills Balance, Climb, EscapeArtist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also,

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Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor andequipment carried.

Spellcasting: When a gray witch gains a new level, she gainsnew spells per day as if she had gained a level in witch (see the witchclass at the beginning of this chapter). She does not, however, gain anyother benefits of raising a level in the witch character class. This essen-tially means that she only adds the level of gray witch to her witchlevel to determine spells per day, spells known, and caster level accord-ingly.

Iron Susceptibility: Gray witches remain susceptible to iron asper the witch class (see earlier in this chapter).

Code of Poverty: Gray witches take a vow of poverty when theybecome gray witches. The vow becomes one of the two ethical codesthat all gray witches must follow (the other is detailed below) andstates that the gray witch may not own anything more than whatthey can comfortably carry on their person, including a change ofclothing, their Book of Shadows, their witch tools and compo-nents, a book or two, writing tools, a backpack to carry theseitems in, a suit of light armor, and no more than two weapons.They may accept food, lodging, books, and spell assistance fromother witches, but they may never accept more than a few coppersfrom them in monetary funds. The gray witch can carry no more than10 sp on her person at any given time. Failure to follow this coderesults in a loss of all powers. A gray witch must then seek atonementfrom another, more powerful, gray witch, to have her powers restored.A gray witch may seek atonement for transgression of this code (or thecode detailed below) no more than twice, and a third code transgres-sion (of either type) results in the loss of all gray witch powers.

Code of Fairness: Gray witches must treat all witches as equals,regardless of coven rank or solitaire status, and especially in regard toarbitrating witch matters. A gray witch must never decide matters basedon a person’s rank or wealth, and she may never accept bribes of anykind in performing her duties as a gray witch. A gray witch who fails toadhere to this code must then seek atonement from another, more pow-erful, gray witch, to have her powers restored. A gray witch may seekatonement for transgression of this code (or the code detailed above) nomore than twice, and a third code transgression (of either type) resultsin the loss of all gray witch powers.

Karmic Balance: As gray witches serve the Goddess and God asjudges of the flock, deciding who deserves atonement in the face ofbad karma or evil deeds, they are not themselves subject to theThreefold Law (see the witch class earlier in this chapter). Therefore, indistributing justice to witch wrongdoers, they can use harmful spellsagainst said witches without experiencing a karmic reaction. The graywitch must always remain lawful neutral to maintain this special abili-ty. Should a gray witch stray from this alignment, she suffers the samekarmic fate as other witches.

Fortune’s Favor: When gray witches need things to help themserve the Goddess and God, these things have an uncanny way of sim-ply "appearing." Gray witches are extremely lucky in this regard andadd a +6 luck bonus to any Attract attempts (see the witch class earlierin this chapter) they make. In addition, this luck adds a +2 luck bonusto all other skill checks and saving throws.

Discern Lies: Starting at 2nd level, a gray witch gains the abilityto discern lies as per the spell once per day (see Chapter 11 of thePHB). The gray witch uses this ability to assist her in distributing justice and settling disputes. The gray witch may use this spell-likeability twice per day at 4th level.

Atonement: Starting at 3rd level, a graywitch gains the ability to atone others of their bad karma once per day,as per the atonement spell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB). The abilityrestores any lost witch abilities and any penalties suffered due to thisbad karma. Depending on the offender’s deeds, the gray witch mayalso geas/quest the wrongdoer before casting atonement to clear her ofthis karma. The gray witch may use this spell-like ability twice per dayat 7th-level.

Geas/Quest: Starting at 5th level, a gray witch gains the ability tosend a wrongdoer on a quest once per day, as per the geas/quest spell(see Chapter 11 of the PHB). Gray witches generally only send repeatkarmic offenders on such quests, restoring the first transgression withsimply the atonement, but sending the wrongdoer on a quest for the2nd and possibly 3rd transgression. A gray witch rarely absolves a 4thtransgression with a quest. A gray witch may use this spell-like abilitytwice at 8th level.

Punish: Starting at 6th level, a gray witch gains the ability tostrip a witch of her powers with a mere word. The witch does not get asaving throw against this attack, even if the witch worships Ca’di-us,not the gray witch’s deities. Gray witches rarely perform this ability onwitches outside the religion, as doing so can command the evil god-dess’ wrath, and grays do not perform it, regardless, without com-muning with her deities (via a commune spell or similar magic). A graywitch may use this spell-like ability twice at 9th level.

Most Holy Word: At 10th level, a gray witch gains the ability tokill another creature as per the destruction spell (see Chapter 11 of thePHB), except that if the gray witch’s victim is a witch the gray’s godshave abandoned, such a victim is at –4 to their Fortitude save. Thoughgrays are not healers, this ability also grants them the power to restorelife as per a true resurrection spell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB). Graywitches do not cast any version of this spell without communing withthe deities first (via a commune spell or similar magic). As ‘Keepers ofthe Word’, gray witches must make certain they use the power of theword in accordance to their deities’ wishes, as such power brings greatresponsibility. This ability may be used but once per day, in whicheverform the witch chooses.

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VITKE

Vitke are powerful witches who protect the coven circle fromattacks, both extra planar and mundane. Training to become a vitkestarts early in a witch’s career—long before he or she enters theclass, as the entry requirements leave little room for dabbling.Only those that show great physical promise and who have astrong will as well as aptitude for psionics are sought for the posi-tion. Up until 5th level, a vitke is called a tikarl, a vitke-in-training,so to speak. A tikarl assists the true vitke in protecting the coven.Upon gaining 5th level, the tikarl is promoted to vitke in a ceremo-ny that imbues him or her with more power (see True Rituals inChapter 4) and earns him or her a moonsword. The vitke are morethan willing to give their lives in service of the coven, and thosethat do, are said to hold a special place in the heavens above.

As vitke are protectors, they are not subject to the ThreefoldLaw (see the witch class earlier in this chapter). They do follow a

code, the Defender’s Code (see below) that prohibits them fromharming anyone who does not intend the coven harm, but they mayuse any spell at their disposal to fight those enemies. They are alsonot susceptible to cold iron, having overcome this weaknessthrough powdered hematite ingestion.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Hit Dice: d8.

Requirements— Abilities: Dex 13+.— Alignment: Any good.— Concentration: 8 ranks.— Ritual: 6 ranks.— Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will.— Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 4th-level witch spells.

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Table 1—8: The Gray WitchBaseAttack Fort Ref Will

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Karmic balance, +1 level of witch class

fortune’s favor2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Discern lies 1/day +1 level of witch class3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Atonement 1/day +1 level of witch class4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Discern lies 2/day +1 level of witch class5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Geas/quest 1/day +1 level of witch class6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Punish +1 level of witch class7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Atonement 2/day +1 level of witch class8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Geas/quest 2/day +1 level of witch class9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Punish 2/day +1 level of witch class10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Most holy word +1 level of witch class

Table 1—9: The VitkeBaseAttack Fort Ref Will

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Spirit armor +4 +1 level of witch or psion class2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Stalwart +1 level of witch or psion class

(+2 to saving throws)3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Spirit armor +6 +1 level of witch or psion class4th +4 +4 +1 +4 +1 level of witch or psion class5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Vitke status; planar +1 level of witch or psion class

sight6th +6 +5 +2 +5 Train tikarl +1 level of witch or psion class7th +7 +5 +2 +5 Spirit armor +8 +1 level of witch or psion class8th +8 +6 +2 +6 Stalwart (damage +1 level of witch or psion class

reduction –2)9th +9 +6 +3 +6 +1 level of witch or psion class10th +10 +7 +3 +7 Stalwart (damage +1 level of witch or psion class

reduction –4)

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Class Skills:The vitke’s class skills (and the key abilities for each skill)

are Concentration (Con), Craft (witch tools) (Int), Detect Familiar(Wis), Detect Taint (Wis), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature)(Int),Knowledge (witchcraft)(Int), Knowledge (the planes)(Int), Listen(Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ritual (Wis, exclusive skill), Scry (Int,exclusive skill), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

* Vitke of any race add +1 skill points per level (this is inaddition to the bonus skill point that is gained for being human).

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the vitke prestige

class.Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Vitke are proficient with

simple weapons and the bastard sword. They are proficient withlight armor (though most disdain its use) and they may not useshields.

Spellcasting/Psionics: When a vitke gains a new level, sheeither gains new spells per day as if she had gained a level in thewitch class, or she may choose to focus on learning psionic abili-ties (starting as a 1st-level psion (see Chapter 1 of the PsionicsHandbook) unless already a multiclassed psion). If she chooses tocontinue gaining witch levels, she does not, however, gain anyother benefits of the witch character class. This essentially meansthat she adds the level of vitke to her witch level to determinespells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly. Once thetype of caster level – witch or psionics – to enhance has been cho-sen, this may not be changed.

Defender Code: A vitke may only use her abilities in defenseof others. As long as the vitke’s attacks are to protect, theThreefold Law and its karma effects do not apply to the vitke. Ifthe vitke fails to follow this code, then she becomes subject tokarma, and may lose her abilities as a result (see the witch classearlier in this chapter).

Spirit Armor: At will, a spirit force, similar to a mage armorspell, surrounds the vitke’s body, adding a +4 armor bonus to herAC starting at 1st level, and increasing to +6 at 3rd level and +8 at7th level.

Stalwart: At 2nd level, the vitke receives a +2 morale bonuson all saving throws and receives 3 extra hit points. At 8th level,the vitke also gains damage reduction 2 (subtracting 2 from anydamage taken). At 10th level, the vitke gains damage reduction 4(subtracting 4 from any damage taken).

Vitke Status: At 5th level, the tikarl reaches true vitke statusand is freed from her tutelage. She also gains a moonsword in atrue ritual ceremony (see the Empower the Vitke/Moonsword trueritual in True Rituals section of Chapter 4 as well as theMoonsword below).

Planar Sight: At 5th level, the vitke gains the supernaturalability, upon concentrating, to see into the Ethereal and Astralplanes, as if with a clairvoyance spell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB),while simultaneously keeping an eye on her current plane of exis-tence.

Train Tikarl: At 6th level, a vitke may begin training atikarl.

THE MOONSWORD

The moonsword is a witch-made bastard sword created for acoven's vitke. It is usually made of either blued steel, oxidizedsteel, or a single length of powerstone. The hilt and pommel arenormally silver, or steel with silver wire decorations. Powerstonesare set in both sides of the pommel, the crosspiece, and near theend of the quillions, especially moonstones in groups of three insilver bezels. The wide blade is often etched with magical sym-bols, sometimes inlaid with silver wire. When invoked by the vitkecarrying it when going into battle, they glow.

A moonsword has the following abilities:During daylight hours, this magical sword acts as a normal

+1 bastard sword. At night, the sword becomes a +2 brilliant ener-gy weapon, and it grants it wielder 60 ft. darkvision. In addition,during a full moon, the sword gains the additional ability to makeits wielder invisible, as per the improved invisibility spell (seeChapter 11 of the PHB) cast by a 16th-level sorcerer.

In the hands of a non-vitke, a moonsword acts as a +1 bas-tard sword under all circumstances.

Caster Level: Variable*; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Armsand Armor, Empower the Vitke/Moonsword True Ritual; MarketPrice: +5 bonus.

*See Chapter 4 for details.

WHITE WITCH

White witches are witches who have an affinity for healing.Having dedicated themselves to the Goddess and God, they havereceived greater healing abilities in return. They gladly use theseabilities to aid people in need, and they often reside in small townsand villages, usually within a day’s walking distance of their covenmembers. Solitaire white witches may travel the lands, healingthose in need, and helping to support others who fight for goodcauses. Coven witches do not treat white witch solitaires much bet-ter than other solitaires, unless the coven is without a white witchhealer of its own; in that case, they might be as hospitable to her asif she were a gray. Coven white witches find some affinity with thesolitaire, but that soon grows to a competitive dislike if the othercoveners or villagers/townspeople take more kindly to the solitaire.

White witches must adhere to the witches’ code (see thewitch class earlier in this chapter), or they suffer the penalties ofbad karma and may lose access to their abilities.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Hit Dice: d8.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a white witch, a character must fulfill

all the following criteria.— Alignment: Any good.— Heal: 6 ranks.— Ritual: 6 ranks.— Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 3rd-level witch spells.

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Class Skills:The white witch’s

class skills (and the keyabilities for each skill) areAlchemy (Int),Concentration (Con),Craft (Int), Craft(witch tools)(Int),Detect Familiar(Wis), Detect Taint(Wis), Diplomacy(Cha), Heal (Wis),Knowledge(nature)(Int),

Knowledge (reli-gion)(Int), Knowledge

(witchcraft)(Int),Knowledge (all

skills)(Int), Perform (Cha),Profession (Wis), Ritual (Wis,

exclusive skill), Scry (Int, exclusiveskill), Ride Broom (Dex), Speak

Language, Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

* White witches of any race add +1 skill points per level ifthey belong to a coven (this is in addition to the bonus skill pointthat is gained for being human).

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the white witch

prestige class.Weapon and Armor Proficiency: White witches are profi-

cient with simple weapons and light armor, but not with shields.Note that armor check penalties apply to the skills Balance, Climb,Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, andTumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 poundsof armor and equipment carried.

Spellcasting: When a white witch gains a new level, shegains new spells per day as if she had gained a level in witch (seethe witch class at the beginning of this chapter). She does not,however, gain any other benefits of raising a level in the witchcharacter class. This essentially means that she only adds the levelof white witch to her witch level to determine spells per day, spellsknown, and caster level accordingly.

Witch Code: White witches remain subject to the ThreefoldLaw outlined under the witch class (see earlier in this chapter).

Iron Susceptibility: White witches remain susceptible to ironas per the witch class (see the earlier in this chapter).

Cure Critical Wounds: White witches have access to theclerical cure critical wounds spell once per day. They gain thisability at 1st level and thereafter gain additional uses per day of thecure critical wounds spells at 3rd and 6th levels. White witchescure 4d8 points of damage +2 points per caster level, including herwitch levels (up to +40), using this spell, but it is otherwise treatedexactly as outlined in Chapter 11 of the PHB. This power is treat-ed as a spell-like ability.

Restoration: Starting at 2nd level, a white witch can restorelevel and ability drains as per the restoration spell once per day(see Chapter 11 of the PHB). The white witch gains additional usesper day of the restoration spell at 4th and 7th levels. This power istreated as a spell-like ability.

Heal: Starting at 5th level, a white witch can heal as per theheal spell once per day (see Chapter 11 of the PHB). The whitewitch gains an additional use per day of the heal spell at 8th level.This power is treated as a spell-like ability.

Regenerate: At 9th level, white witches can restore lostlimbs as per the regeneration spell once per day (see Chapter 11 ofthe PHB). This power is treated as a spell-like ability.

Resurrect: At 10th level, white witches can resurrect some-one once per day as per the resurrection spell (see Chapter 11 ofthe PHB). This power is treated as a spell-like ability.

Note that a white witch may use her special abilities (asdescribed above) irregardless of whether or not she should be ableto use the spell of the same name or not (i.e. she does not have suf-ficient Wisdom to cast the spell), assuming of course she is of suf-ficient level to access the power (as shown above).

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Table 1—10: The White WitchBaseAttack Fort Ref Will

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Cure critical wounds 1/day +1 level of witch class2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Restoration 1/day +1 level of witch class3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Cure critical wounds 2/day +1 level of witch class4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Restoration 2/day +1 level of witch class5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Heal 1/day +1 level of witch class6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Cure critical wounds 3/day +1 level of witch class7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Restoration 3/day +1 level of witch class8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Heal 2/day +1 level of witch class9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Regenerate 1/day +1 level of witch class10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Resurrection 1/day +1 level of witch class

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Witch Skills

Witches of any weave can select their skills from those present-ed in the Player’s Handbook and from the several new ones presentedbelow. Witches acquire skill points, per the rules presented in the Player’sHandbook, with the following modification.

1st level Higher-levelClass Skill Points* Skill Points**Witch (4 + Int modifier) x 4 4 + Int modifier

* Humans add +4 to this total at 1st level.** Humans add +1 each level; witches of any race add +1 at each level if

they belong to a coven. These bonuses stack, so a human witch who belongs to a covenadds +2 each level.

Table 2—1: New Skills

Skill Untrained Key AbilityConceal Yes IntDetect Familiar No WisDetect Taint Yes WisHarvest No WisKnowledge Divination No IntKnowledge Witchcraft No IntPerform√ Yes ChaProfession Seamstress No IntRide Broom No DexRitual No Wis

√ OGC from the Shaman’s Handbook:

The Shaman’s Handbook, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author, Steven Kenson

CONCEAL (Int)This skill is handy if you want to keep talismans, spell components, magical

trinkets and other small witch-trappings out of sight. You are able to hide smallobjects upon your person, making them difficult to be found even by charactersusing the Search skill. Items might be hidden within a sleeve, inside a hem,or in a hair braid. With a little sleight of hand they might even be secretlymoved from palms to pockets. The GM can apply bonuses and penalties to theskill check based on the item you are trying to hide as she sees fit – though any-thing weighing over 5 lbs attracts a -5 circumstance penalty to the Conceal check.

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Check:With each success-

ful Conceal check, you canhide one small item. Your

Conceal check is opposed by acharacter’s Search check.

DETECT FAMILIAR (Wis)Witches who have familiars form close bonds with these

special creatures. Because of this, a witch is frequently able tosense if an animal she encounters is the familiar of a sorcerer,wizard or another witch. This skill also enables the witch to rec-ognize a paladin’s mount or a druid’s animal companion for whatthey really are. In order to make a skill check using this skill, thewitch must be able to observe the animal. This skill is handy ifthe witch thinks someone is using a familiar to spy upon her.

Check: The check to determine if a given creature is afamiliar is base DC 15, plus one for each level of the familiar’sowner. For example, a 9th level sorcerer is using his owl familiarto trail a witch and her friends. The witch notices the owl andattempts to use this skill to determine if the owl is a familiar. Thewitch would need to roll a 24 (15 + 9) to be successful. On a rollof less than 24, the GM might tell the witch that the owl seems tobe a common animal.

DETECT TAINT (Wis)Because you brew concoctions and often deal in potions,

you have a knack for determining if something has been taintedwith a poison. This is a useful skill if you’ve enemies who mightwant to do you harm with a poisoned meal or a venom-laced bot-tle of wine.

Check: The DC to notice the taint depends on the type ofpoisonous substance involved (as determined by the GM). Thefollowing chart presents some examples. Witches who have theBrew Poison feat gain a +2 synergy bonus to the check. The useof this skill functions in a manner similar to a Spot check, thoughin requires a declaration of intent and a full round action, and hasa range of 30 feet.

Poison DCCommon 10Venom 15Exotic or rare 20Colorless, odorless 22Magical 25

HARVEST (Wis)This skill is useful if you want to gather special herbs for

potions, or if you are looking for unusual plants—such as raremorels and mandrake roots—that might serve as components forbrews and spells. You know how and when to pick the plants, andperhaps even more importantly, you know in what types of terrainand under what conditions to find them. If you have the Profession:Seamstress skill, you can use the Harvest skill to locate plants thatcan be used to dye fabric.

Check: With each successful Harvest check—provided the ter-rain and the season cooperate—you have gathered the plants you’researching for (the DC for such a task is 13, modified by the GMbased upon the plant being sought after and the terrain it is common-ly found in). A synergy bonus may be applied in the case of witchesalso skilled at Wilderness Lore or Profession: Seamstress.

KNOWLEDGE (DIVINATION) (Int; Trained Only)You are knowledgeable about several types of divination tech-

niques, such as astrology, cartomancy (card reading), chiromancy(palm reading), cleromancy (rune or dice casting), crystal gazing,lampadomancy (candle flame gazing), oneiromancy (dream interpre-tation), numerology, and tasseography (reading tea leaves). You arecapable of one form of divination per rank. When used in conjunc-tion with a focus item like a crystal ball or tarot cards, the witchadds a +1 synergy bonus to her skill check for this skill.

KNOWLEDGE (WITCHCRAFT) (Int)This represents the study of witchlore—history, famous witch-

es, covens, and magical trappings.Check: Recalling a piece of knowledge from your field of

expertise is an easy task (DC 10). More detailed informationrequires a DC 15, and for obscure information a DC 20 or more. Afailure at the check means you cannot attempt to recall the informa-tion again—you simply never learned the tidbit.

PERFORM (Cha)Witches make use of the Perform skill in a number of ways.

Common types of Perform among witches include chanting, danc-ing, drumming, flute, poetry, singing, storytelling, and "divining"(i.e. faking failed Divination skill checks).

Check: In addition to the uses of the Perform skill described inthe PHB, witches use Perform as part of their rituals. A witch with 5or more ranks in Perform gains a +2 synergy bonus toConcentration, Heal, and Ritual skill check rolls after Performing forat least a minute. The bonus lasts for 1 minute per point of Charismabonus of the performer.

Special: If you have 5 or more ranks in Perform (chanting orsinging), you receive a +2 synergy bonus on Ritual checks (seeMusical Witches, Chapter 7).

PROFESSION: SEAMSTRESS (Int)Witches who want to make ritual clothing and other witch-

garb would do well to learn this skill. If you are a seamstress, youknow a wealth of stitches and styles. In addition, you know how towork with various types of fabric, including how to dye it. You caneven make your own material, such as weaving the wool shearedfrom sheep.

Check: A successful Seamstress check means you have madean exquisite garment.

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RIDE BROOM (Dex; Trained only)You are skilled at riding magical brooms.Check: Typical riding actions don’t require checks. If a witch

attempts to ride another witch’s broom that has been attuned to itsowner through a Witch’s Broom feat, she suffers a –4 penalty tocontrol it (unless that witch has voluntarily released the bond).

Riding Task DCGuide with knees 5Stay on broom 5Fight on broom 10Maneuver through trees/obstacles 15Soft fall 15Fast mount or dismount 20*Stay on broom (heavy winds) 25

*Armor check penalty applies.

Guide with Knees: You can react instantly to guide the broomwith your knees, freeing up your hands for battle. You must makethe check at the start of your each of your combat rounds. If thecheck fails, you can only use one hand this round because you needto use the other to control the broom.

Stay on Broom: You can react instantly to try to avoid fallingwhen the you take damage or experience light winds while ridingthe broom.

Fight with Broom: If you engage in all-and-all-out combatwhile mounted on the broom, then you must roll to maintain controlof it during the battle. If you just make one attack or suffer one hitfrom an attacker, then you just need to make a Stay on Broomcheck. This roll must be made for moderate winds, too.

Maneuver Through Trees/Obstacles: If you attempt to flythrough trees or other objects (buildings, within a room, etc.) whilemounted on the broom, then you must make a maneuver check. Ifyou fail, you take 1d6 points of damage from hitting such obstaclesand must make another Ride Broom check (DC 10 + damage taken)to remain on the broom.

Soft Fall: You react instantly to try to take half damage whenyou fall off your broom. If the check fails, you take 1d6 points offalling damage per every full 10 feet of distance fallen (to a maxi-mum of 20d6 points of damage). If you roll a 30 or higher, then you

miraculously take no damage.Fast Mount/Dismount: You mount or dismount as a free

action. If you fail the check, mounting or dismounting is treated as amove-equivalent action. (You can't attempt a fast mount or dismountunless you can perform the mount or dismount as a move-equivalentaction this round.)

Stay on Broom (heavy winds): When you experience heavywinds while riding the broom, be they magical or non-magical innature, you must make a Ride Broom check (DC 25) or fall off.

Special: If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you receive a+2 synergy bonus to your Ride Broom checks.

RITUAL (Wis; Trained; Witches Only)Much of a witch’s magic is ritual-focused. A witch uses this

skill to create her Book of Shadows and/or focus items, or to drawessence for use in combining spells with other witches or evenNature itself.

Check: With a successful check, you successfully call theessence needed to perform your desired task.

Special: If you have 5 or more ranks in Concentration, youreceive a +2 synergy bonus on Ritual checks.

Witch Feats

Feats grant a witch new abilities or improve upon abilities shealready has. As in the PHB, a witch gains feats at 1st level, 3rd level,and every three levels thereafter. If the witch is human, she gets abonus feat at character creation (1st level). In addition, the witchgains a bonus feat the first time she is accepted into a coven—pro-vided this feat is one already possessed by another member of thatcoven, and so can be taught to her.

For example, a 7th level human witch, who is a member of acoven, would have a maximum of five feats. Witches can select featsfrom the PHB and from the following list. Some feats have prerequi-sites, such as skills and other feats, statistic minimums, andeven witch color. These are detailed in the individualentries.

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Ritual Task DCImbue spirit in Book of Shadows (1st) 10Create Magic Circle (normal) 12Combine Coven Magic 10 + spell level + 1/witch combined Combine with Nature or other Solitaires 13 + spell level

(Solitaires Only)Imbue item with spirit for use as a focus 15Harness Unknown Spells 18 + spell level +1/witchCreate Magic Circle for True Ritual 20Harness Higher Spells 22 + spell level +1/witch

(accessing higher level spells from a combining)Create 2nd or subsequent Book of Shadows 25Bypass True Ritual experience drain 25

Special: This skill is also used with a witch’s Attract special ability; GMs must decideupon a DC, based on what the witch asks for (see Attract under witch class in Chapter 2).

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Table 2—2: New Feats

Feat PrerequisiteAnimal Friend√ Handle Animal skillBlack Sight* Witches onlyBlight* Wis 15+Brew Poison 5 or more ranks in the Alchemy¿ skill;

Black, Brown, Gray witchesCandle Magic Three or more levels level of any

witch class (see Chapter 2), one ormore ranks of the Craft (witch tools)skill

Color Conjunction* -- Color Opposition -- Coven Conjunction --Craft Charm√ Spellcaster level 1st+Craft Fetish√ Spellcaster level 1st+Enhanced Companions Animal Empathy¿ skillFamiliar Concert Animal Empathy¿ skillFamiliar Fortitude --Fast --Foresight Ritual skill, Knowledge (Divination),

Wis 14+Greater Combine 4 or more ranks in the Ritual skillMighty Steed Ride skill¿Multiple Familiars Animal Empathy skill¿ Poison Resistance --Presence Cha 15+Second Sight Ritual skill, ForesightShape Stones Int 14+, Profession: Gemcutter skillSoulless Evil Alignment, annual homage to the

goddess Ca’di-usSound of Mind Concentration skill¿, Combat Casting¿Traceless Wis 14+Undead Ward* Black and evil witches onlyWeather Wise Wis 13+Witch’s Broom Craft Wondrous Item¿Witch Organization VariesWitch Sense Wis 15+* You can take this feat multiple times.

¿ See the PHB.

√ OGC from the Shaman’s Handbook: The Shaman’s Handbook, Copyright 2002,

Green Ronin Publishing; Author, Steven Kenson

ANIMAL FRIEND [General]You can easily befriend wild animals and make them your

companions.Prerequisite: 5 or more ranks of the Handle Animal skill.Benefit: You have the spell-like ability to befriend animals

at will like the animal friendship spell, subject to the normal lim-itations of that spell (see Chapter 11 of the PHB for details).

BLACK SIGHT [Special]You can see in magical darkness as if it were twilight. In

addition, you gain a +4 bonus to saving throws versus the blind-ness spell. Only witches may take this feat, and it cannot betaught to a non-witch.

Benefit: This feat can negate any penalties you might facefrom various darkness enchantments. This feat can be taken mul-tiple times, with subsequent additions passing the ability to thewitch’s familiars. For example, a witch who takes the Black Sightfeat three times protects herself and two selected familiars. Thefeat is not "stackable" on a single witch or familiar.

BLIGHT [Special]Though typically chosen by only black witches, a witch of

any color can gain the Blight feat. With this, you can cause plantsto wither and die.

Prerequisite: Wis 15+.Benefit: Once a day for every two class levels, a witch with

this feat can draw all the moisture from normal plants within a 5-foot radius of herself, causing them to die. The moisture is dissi-pated into the air. If the plant is sentient or otherwise considereda creature, such as a treant or choke creeper for example, thewitch instead inflicts damage—1d4 points per level. Thus, a 5thlevel witch employing her Blight feat would inflict 5d4 points ofdamage to all plant-creatures within 5 feet of her (such creaturesare allowed a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the witch’s level) for halfdamage). This feat is a spell-like ability.

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Doing sodoes not increase the number of times a day a witch can useBlight, but it increases the radius by 5 feet each time. For exam-ple, a witch who gains the Blight feat three times can witherplants within a 15-foot radius of herself.

BREW POISON [General]You can create poisons from natural and arcane substances.Prerequisite: 5 or more ranks in the Alchemy skill.

Restricted to Black, Gray, and Brown witches.Benefit: You can concoct various poisons through brewing

or refining. The higher level you are, the more lethal the poisonyou can make. You must obtain any necessary natural ingredi-ents, such as snake or insect venom or virulent plant material.The GM might require you to undertake an adventure to obtainsome of your ingredients. To create a poison using this feat, youmust spend a full day brewing the mixture. The number of dosesyou are able to make in a day is equal to your level. The tablebelow can be used as a guideline.

CANDLE MAGIC [Item Creation]You are able to make candles that are capable of containing

and releasing the power generated by witch spells. You may thenimbue such a candle with a spell, such that its effects are releasedwhen the candle is burned.

Prerequisite: Three or more levels level of any witch class(see Chapter 2), one or more ranks of the Craft (witch tools) skill.

Benefit: Using your witch ability to Create Focus and yourCraft (witch tools) skill, you are able to manufacture candles thatcan be used in candle magic and other ritual purposes. It takes 1day and 100 gp in materials to make 4 candles of any one color(see Chapter 5), which must be determined before you begin. Inaddition to these costs, to store a spell inside such a candle takes 1day per 1,000 gp in its base price. The base price of storing a spellin a candle is the spell’s level multiplied by its caster level multi-

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plied by 20 gp. To store a spell in a candle, you must spend 1/35 ofthis base price in XP and use up raw materials costing one-fourththis base price.

Any candle that stores a spell with a costly material compo-nent or an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost. In addition tothe costs derived from the base price, you must expend the materialcomponent or pay the XP when storing the spell.

Special: Spells stored in a candle may then be released whenit is lit and allowed to burn for at least 15 minutes. Such witch can-dles can burn for up to 4 hours before burning out, and while lit thespell stored in them is considered complete, awaiting only one lastmental command by the creating witch to spring into effect as if justcast by her (though its effects are based upon the candle’s initial cre-ation (see above)) and augmented by the appropriate special proper-ties of the candle color it is stored in (see Chapter 5 for details).Lighting the candle itself counts as a partial action that draws anattack of opportunity, but unleashing the spell within thereafter (after15 minutes of burning) counts as a free action that does not draw anattack of opportunity. The witch must be within 10-ft./per level ofthe witch to release its power after it is lit. A candle storing a spellmay be extinguished without releasing the spell stored within andstill be used at a later time to unleash the stored spell, but the candlemust still have at least 20 minutes burning time left. Once a can-dle’s spell has been used, or it is allowed to burn completely downwithout activating the spell stored within it, the candle crumblesaway to dust and is rendered useless.

COLOR CONJUNCTION [General]You draw strength from fighting alongside another witch of

your color (see witch prestige classes in Chapter 2).Benefit: If you are within 30 feet of at least one other witch of

your color, you gain +1 on all physical attack and damage rolls. Forexample, a white witch fighting alongside another white witch,enjoys a +1 attack and damage bonus. Further, this feat can be takenmultiple times. Thus, a witch who takes the Color Conjunction feat

three times gains a +3 attack and damage bonus when fighting with-in 30 feet of another witch of her color. The effects of this feat canbe coupled with the Color Opposition and Coven Conjunction featsfor even greater effect. Color Conjunction can be used once a dayand its effects last up to 10 rounds.

COLOR OPPOSITION [General]You sap the strength of witches who are not of your color (see

witch prestige classes in Chapter 2), making them less effective incombat and spellcasting.

Benefit: If you are within 30 feet of a witch of another color,that witch suffers a –1 penalty to attack and damage rolls whenfighting against you. Further, you enjoy a +1 insight bonus to allsaving throws against such a witch’s spells. For example, if you area brown witch, you cause white and black witches facing you to suf-fer –1 attack and damage penalties and receive a +1 bonus to allyour saving throws to resist their spells. This feat would not extendto enemy brown witches facing you (as they are the same color asyourself). The effects of this feat can be coupled with the ColorConjunction and Coven Conjunction feats for even greater effect.Color Opposition can be used once a day and its effects last up to 10rounds.

COVEN CONJUNCTION [General]You draw arcane strength from fighting alongside other witch-

es from your coven.Benefit: If you are within 30 feet of at least one other witch

from your coven, regardless of that witch’s color, you gain +1 on allattack and damage rolls. For example, if you are a member of theEarthen Den coven, and there are others from your coven fighting atyour side, you gain a +1 attack and damage bonus against your foes.The effects of this feat can be coupled with the Color Oppositionand Color Conjunction feats for even greater effect. CovenConjunction is useable once a day and its effects last up to 10rounds.

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Table 2—3: Poisons

Poison Type Initial Damage Secondary GP Cost Witch levelInsect venom DC 10 1d4 Con 1d6 Con 5 1Giant insect venom DC 11 1d4 Dex 1d6 Dex 8 2Fungus paste DC 12 1d6 Con 1d6 Con 10 3Roots DC 13 1d6 Dex 1d6 Dex 10 4Snake venom DC 14 2d4Con 2d4 Con 15 5Envenomed lizard bile DC 15 2d4 Dex 2d4 Dex 15 6Mandrake essence DC 16 1d6 Str 1d8 Str 20 7Arsenic concentrate DC 17 2d6 Con 1d8 Con 24 8Myconid extract DC 18 2d6 Dex 1d8 Dex 30 9Lotus essence DC 19 2d6 Str 2d6 Str 40 10Venomous fish oil DC 20 3d6 Con Death 80 11Magical beast glands DC 21 3d6 Dex Death 120 12Powdered undead DC 22 3d6 Str 3d6 Con 100 13Magical scourge DC 23 2d6 Cha 2d6 Cha 80 14+

Refer to DMG, Chapter 3, for more information on poisons.

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CRAFT CHARM [Item Creation]You can create magical charms (one-use magic items that

contain spells).Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 3rd+.Benefit: This feat works similar to Brew Potion (see

Chapter 5 of the PHB), except that it creates a charm rather thana potion (see Charms, Chapter 4).

CRAFT FETISH [Item Creation]You can create magical fetishes (items that contain spells

you or another spellcaster can use).Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 1st+.Benefit: This feat works like Scribe Scroll (see Chapter 5

of the PHB), except that it creates a fetish rather than a scroll(see Fetishes, Chapter 4).

ENHANCED COMPANIONS [General]Because you form a special bond with your animal com-

panions, they benefit from a +2 Dodge bonus to Armor Classwhen they are within 60 feet of you.

Prerequisite: Animal Empathy skill.Benefit: The effects of this feat apply to mounts, familiars,

pets, herd animals, and the like. The benefit is lost if an animalis given to another.

FAMILIAR CONCERT [General]You share a group mind with your familiars.Prerequisite: 5 or more ranks of the Animal Empathy skill.Benefit: This feat allows you to tap into the thoughts of

any or all of your familiars. You can, when concentrating, allowyour familiars to form a group mind, sharing what the others seeand feel. This is particularly handy for a witch wanting to spy onseveral locations at the same time, or wanting to keep track ofseveral individuals. To successfully employ this ability requiresa full round action (that draws an attack of opportunity) andrequires a Concentration check (DC 13) to not confuse thethoughts and images that you see. If you fail, you make notattempt to use this feat for a period of at least an hour.

FAMILIAR FORTITUDE [General]You do not physically suffer from the loss of a familiar.Benefit: Unlike sorcerers and wizards, you suffer no ill

effects if one of your familiars dies (you ignore the rules con-cerning the ill effects associated with the loss of a familiardescribed in Chapter 3 of the PHB). In addition, the witch is notsubject to the normal time period usually required before sum-moning a new familiar and may do so after only a month.

FAST [General]You are able to go without food and water for six days before

suffering any ill effects. Some covens undertake fasts before cast-ing powerful group spells or before sacred days; they believe starv-ing the body makes the mind keener.

Benefit: This is a handy feat if you find yourself in a landthat defies all of your foraging attempts or if you fall prisoner to anunkind keeper who withholds food. Because you are so in controlof your mind and body, you are able to ignore the effects of hunger

and thirst for this extended period. However, after the six dayshave passed, you must eat or drink normally for at least three daysbefore fasting again. Failure to do so results in the temporary lossof one Strength point and one Constitution point per day until youeat and drink regularly again. The Strength and Constitution pointsare regained at a rate of one a day. You gain a +2 competencebonus to your spells’ saving throw DCs for a period of time equalto the time you spent fasting.

FORESIGHT [General]You can gauge an action’s probable outcome.Prerequisite: 4 or more ranks of the Ritual skill, 4 or more

ranks of the Knowledge (divination) skill, Wis 13+.Benefit: By using a focus item, such as a charged candle or a

crystal ball, you can tap into the higher spirit to gauge whether ornot an action will bring weal or woe. To do so requires a Ritualcheck (DC 16) for every action you attempt to gauge. A failedcheck reveals nothing. On a successful check, the witch gains afeeling of weal (probably good), woe (probably bad), or weal andwoe (if the probable outcome could be both good and bad).

GREATER COMBINE [General]You can harness the energies of other witches much easier

than most.Prerequisite: 4 or more ranks in the Ritual skill.Benefit: When combining with other witches (see Witch

Combined Ritual Magic, Chapter 4), you treat the number of par-ticipants as half of the actual total in terms of combining theirenergies with yours when testing to see if such energies are con-trolled. For example, if attempting to combine with six otherwitches, instead of adding 6 to the DC of the attempt, you only add3.

MIGHTY STEED [General]As a witch, you seem to have a natural understanding of ani-

mals and can coax the best out of them.Prerequisite: Animal Empathy skill.Benefit: You can urge your mount to increase its speed by

25%, and to increase the duration it can travel at any given stretchby 50%.

MULTIPLE FAMILIARS [General]You may have multiple familiars.Prerequisite: 5 or more ranks of the Animal Empathy skill.Benefit: You can have as many familiars as you have levels.

For example, a 6th level witch can have as many as six familiars.As per the rules in Chapter 3 of the PHB, you must spend both aday to attract each familiar as well as the equivalent of 100 goldpieces to perform the summoning. In addition, you must spend 25experience points times your level to complete the binding of eachnew familiar. A new familiar can be called only once per newmoon.

Special: You also have access to more powerful familiarsthan most witches. Such familiars ‘cost’ more level slots thanordinary familiars, depending upon their relative power. SeeChapter 5 for more details on powerful familiars.

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POISON RESISTANCE [General] You have a natural resistance to poisons.Benefit: This feat grants you a +2 saving throw bonus versus

poisons, including animal venoms. Further, you are immune to poi-sons crafted by witches who are one-half your level of experienceor less. For example, an 8th level witch is immune to poisonsbrewed by witches of 4th level or lower.

PRESENCE [General]You can use your powerful presence to affect the morale of

others.Prerequisite: Cha 15+.Benefit: By spending a full action to strike an awe-inspiring

pose, you cause all opponents within 90 feet of you to suffer a –2morale penalty on all saving throws. Conversely, you can insteaduse your presence to bolster your companions, granting them a +2morale bonus on saving throws. You cannot use both effects in thesame combat. The chosen effect lasts for 1 minute per level of thewitch.

SECOND SIGHT [General] You can see things about someone’s past or future.Prerequisite: 7 or more ranks of the Ritual skill, Foresight. Benefit: By using a focus item, such as a charged candle or a

crystal ball, you can tap into the higher spirit to learn things abouta subject (person, place, or thing). This information usually comesto the witch in images. Seeing such images requires a successfulRitual check (see below). Attempting to see into the target’s futureadds +5 to the base DC, as the future is nebulous. Only one imageis revealed per check. Attempting to gain multiple images increasesthe resulting necessary DC by 2. Failure means that nothing isrevealed to the witch.

DC Information Sought10 Learn something about a person (or place) that is

commonly known by at least a substantial minority of thepopulation (present or past). Example: If a personalwaysdreamed of learning magic, and many others know this, thewitch can tap into this "collective" knowledge, and say,"You dream of becoming a wizard someday." Or, if thelocal butcher was formerly a wizard’s apprentice in hisyouth, and many people knowthis, the witch could seething about his past.

15 Learn something about a person, place, or thing that is (willbe) commonly known by at least a substantial minority ofthe population (present or past). Example: The local butch-er will one day be an apprentice wizard.

20 Learn something about a person, place, or thing that isuncommonly known (past or present). Example: If askedwhat an explorer might find in the Dungeon of Arikosh, thewitch might sense that the talisman of Arikosh may befound there.

25 Learn something about a person, place, or thing that is uncommonly known (future), or learn something aboutaperson, place, or thing that is obscure (past or present). Interms of the future, the witch might see something that issomewhat likely to occur to the person. Example: Thewitch may learn about a power of a long-forgotten magicalitem. Looking into the future, she might see that the adven-turer before her is destined to battle the black witch Valkarat some point.

30 Learn something about a person, place, or thing that isobscure (future). In terms of the future, the witch seessomething more specific about her target. Learn somethingthat is extremely obscure, possibly forgotten by most whoever knew it (past or present). Example: The adventurerwho is to meet Valkar will do so at Mount Calidas on theeve of a full moon.

35 Learn more specific information about a person, place, orthing’s future (future). Example: The witch may learn thatGolrial the white witch will become queen of the highlandfolk on midsummer’s eve in the next five years, and theceremony will take place at the Sacred Grove of Tylorin.

SHAPE STONES [General]Witches often enchant gemstones. This feat allows you to

craft your own gems. Some witches who possess this feat work asjewelers and earn a substantial income.

Prerequisite: Int 14+, Profession: Gemcutter skill.Benefit: This feat grants you a natural affinity to minerals.

You instinctively know which pieces of raw gem material willmake the best-finished stones and which to discard because ofimperfections. You can shape a stone (Wisdom check DC 14) aswell as the most expert jeweler, polish, facet and set it into wandsand/or pieces of jewelry. In addition, by studying the land(Wisdom check DC 16), you can sense where to mine for stones,and you can often guess what type of stones might lie beneath theearth. If you have the Craft Wondrous Item feat (see Chapter 5 ofthe PHB), and are using gems you shaped, the cost of the item cre-ated is 1/50th of the item’s price in XP rather than the standard

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1/25th. Witches who also possess the Wilderness Lore skill gain a+2 bonus on DC checks when searching for where to mine stones.

SOULLESS [General]In exchange for immunity to the Threefold Law (see witch

class, Chapter 2) as well as magical power, you have agreed to for-feit your soul to the dark god Ca’di-us.

Prerequisites: Evil Alignment, annual homage to the goddessCa’di-us.

Benefit: Because you have agreed to forfeit your soul toCa’di-us, you are not subject to the Threefold Law. You are free toseek power in any manner you choose without interference fromany cosmic higher power. In addition, because your soul is nolonger housed in your body (Ca’di-us has taken possession of it),you are now highly resistant to manipulative magic, gaining a +2profane bonus to all saving throws against spells from theEnchantment school.

SOUND OF MIND [General]Your mind is so strong that you can rarely be rattled by your

surroundings or by attacks from opponents.Prerequisite: Combat Casting.Benefit: You are able to steel yourself against the forces

around you. Though you register pain from blows and spells thatassail you, they are not enough to prevent you from using yourown magic. Because you have become so focused on the notion ofcasting spells while under attack, you make Concentration checksat an additional +4 when casting spells while on the defensive.

TRACELESS [General]Your ties are so close to nature that you pass through the

woods without leaving a trace.Prerequisite: Wis 14+, Track.Benefit: In wooded surroundings, you do not leave footprints.

This makes it virtually impossible for you to be tracked by normalmeans. Someone attempting to track a witch with this skill suffersa –8 penalty to his Wilderness Lore checks to perform the trackingattempt. This ability does not extend to your familiars or yourcompanions.

UNDEAD WARD [Special]You have a bond with some of the earth’s darker forces.

Thus, you are able to hold strong against the darkest of creatures --the undead.

Prerequisite: Black and evil witches only.Benefit: You gain a +1 natural Armor Class bonus against

undead when within 60 feet of them. Further, you have a +2 luckbonus to all saving throws versus any attacks from undead crea-tures, such as gaze and touch attacks.

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times and its effectsstack.

WEATHER WISE [General]You have an uncanny ability to predict the weather.Prerequisite: Wis 13+.Benefit: You have an uncanny ability to accurately predict the

weather. This can be a boon in selecting your spells and preparing

for journeys. The longer ahead you attempt to predict the weather,the more difficult it is. Consult the following table for the Wisdomcheck DC value needed to predict the weather based on the num-ber of hours ahead you are attempting to predict. Weather cannotbe predicted more than three days in advance.

Hours in advance DC (Wisdom)4 108 14

12 1824 2248 2572 35

WITCH’S BROOM [Special]You are one with a magical broom that you enchant.Prerequisite: Craft Wondrous Item.Benefit: If you have enchanted a broom with the Craft

Wondrous Item feat, you have a special connection to that item.You can command the broom to travel to you or away for a dis-tance equal to double your level in miles. For example, an 8thlevel witch can command her broom to travel up to 16 miles away.This is useful for witches who do not want to always have theirbroom with them, allowing them to summon it or dismiss it asneeded. This connection exists with any number of brooms thewitch has crafted for herself. The connection is severed if the witchvoluntarily gives away or sells a broom. The broom cannot travelto or from the witch if it is restrained, such as by being in a lockedchest or barred cellar.

WITCH ORGANIZATION [General]You are associated with one of the following organizations of

your choice. You must meet the organization’s prerequisites to join,which may include passing several trials or ordeals. See the specif-ic organization below for prerequisite and benefit information.Details concerning of these organizations can be found in Chapter8.

Prerequisite: The character must have at least one level ofone of the witch classes listed here. No other witch class isallowed (except vitke).

Benefit: See below.Special: This feat may be taken more than once (though a

different Organization must be selected each time, except for the‘In the Grace of the Lady’ organization, which may be selectedmultiple times).

THE ARCANE CLAW OF SH’GON-KA

You are a member of the desert witches of the Arcane Clawof Sh’gon-Ka.

Prerequisite: Witch, brown witch, or black witch. Benefit: You gain +2 to Wilderness Lore and Spot skill

checks while in the desert.

CIRCLE OF SHADOWS

You are a member of the Circle of Shadows.Prerequisite: Black witch.Benefits: Cast Enchantment spells as a witch of 1 level high-

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er. This bonus only applies to witch spells, notEnchantment spells a multi-classed witch may haveaccess to via another class.

DAUGHTERS OF CA’DI-US

You have turned to the darker aspects of the Craft, and nowserve Ca’di-us.

Prerequisite: Black witch, or any witch class of evil align-ment, and must take the Soulless feat.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Concentration, Knowledge(witchlore) and Spellcraft checks.

EPISCOPATE

You are a member of the Episcopate, a group who worshipsGa-sta’s Moon Goddess aspect.

Prerequisite: Any non-evil witch class.Benefit: While under moonlight (full or otherwise), your out-

line appears blurry, as per the blur spell, grantingyou one-half concealment (20% miss chance). Yourappearance remains distorted as long as the moonremains visible. You appear normal to all otherEpiscopates, however. This is treated as a supernatu-ral ability.

GARDEN RETREAT

You are a member of the religious order of the GardenRetreat, and you worship the Goddess and God inthe Nature aspect.

Prerequisite: Any gray witches, brown witches, or witches ofLN, NG, or N alignment; must spend one yearworking and living at the Garden Retreat.

Benefit: You gain bonus domain spells from the Plantdomain as if you were a cleric of a level equal toyour combined witch level, which includes witchprestige classes.

HIGHBORN

You are a member of the wealthy, exclusive Highborns, andthe pursuit of money is your true religion.

Prerequisite: Any 7th-level witch; must have at least 200,000gp in assets.

Benefit: Benefit: You gain 2 bonus skill ranks in each of thefollowing skills: Appraise, Bluff, and Diplomacy.

IN THE GRACE OF THE LADY

You have been to the Isle called ‘In the Grace of the Lady’,and you have been blessed from your stay.Additionally, you can easily locate the island again.

Prerequisite: 8th-level witch, including any witch prestigeclass levels; must reside on the island for at least amonth.

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Benefit: You permanently receive +1 to all your savingthrows, as you have been blessed.

Special: This feat may be taken more than once.

NIGHTSTORM

You are a member of the Nightstorm organization.Prerequisite: Any non-evil witch.Benefit: When you cast spells under the cover of darkness,

natural or magical, you cast them as if as a witch of1 level higher. This bonus only applies to witchspells, not spells a multi-classed witch may haveaccess to via another class.

NYLA-KON’S NATATORIUM

You are a graduate of Nyla-Kon’s Nataorium.Prerequisite: 1st level witch of any non-evil alignment, Wis

14+, and Int 12+.Benefit: You gain 2 bonus skill ranks in each of the follow-

ing skills: Knowledge (Myrran history), Knowledge(witchlore), and Ritual.

PALIDORI HOUSE

You are affiliated with the Palidori HousePrerequisite: Any non-evil witch class, female.Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Knowledge (witchlore) skills

checks and access to funds and other resources nec-essary to undertake House tasks (see notes inChapter 8 for more details).

SCHOLAR’S RETREAT

You have visited the Scholar’s Retreat and have beenchanged by the experience.

Prerequisite: Any 6th-level witch; must spend 6 months liv-ing at the retreat.

Benefit: You can add 2 bonus skill ranks to any threeKnowledge skills of your choice.

SHATTERED CIRCLE

You are a member of the Shattered Circle.Prerequisite: Must be a witch who has

been ousted from a coven and thirstsfor revenge.Benefit: You gain bonus domain

spells from the Destructiondomain as if you were a cleric

of a level equal to yourcombined witch level,

which includeswitch prestige

classes.

THE SILVER CIRCLE

You are a member of the Silver Circle.Prerequisite: Grey or white witch, of good or neutral align-

ment.Benefit: When casting spells to oppose evil, whether in com-

bat or otherwise, you cast them as if a witch of onelevel higher than your actual level.

SINGERS OF THE SOUTHWEST WIND

You are a member of the Singers of the Southwest Wind.Prerequisite: Any witch class; must pass the Ordeal of

Weather (accurately predict the weather for theupcoming 2 days and survive a night alone in thewinter elements of the group’s region (see Chapter8 for more details) to join).

Benefit: Singers cast all weather-related spells as a witch of1 level higher. This bonus only applies to witchspells, not weather-based spells a multi-classedwitch may have access to via another class.

SLENDIRA’S SISTERHOOD

You are a member of Slendira’s Sisterhood.Prerequisite: Brown witch.Benefit: You gain the Fast feat and receive a +1 to saving

throws vs. fire-based magic.

WHITE WITCHES OF HOBB HILL

You are a member of the White Witches of Hobb Hill. Prerequisite: White witch.Benefits: You can cast bull’s strength or cat’s grace once

per day, in addition to your normal witch spells.

WITCHES OF THE GROVE

You are a member of the elusive Witches of the Grove. Prerequisite: Any evil or black witch.Benefit: You gain bonus domain spells from the Evil

domain as if you were a cleric of a level equal toyour combined witch level, which includes witchprestige classes.

WITCH SENSE [General]You can sense if other witches are in your presence.

Prerequisite: Wis 15+.Benefit: You instinctively know who in a crowd—within

your line of sight—is a witch, as there is an aura about a witchthat you can sense. Further, you instantly know if such a witch isthe same color as you or not (see Prestige Classes in Chapter 2). Ifthe witch is not of your color, you have a chance to determinewhat color the witch is—this is represented as a Wisdom check(DC 10 + 1 for every level of the targeted witch). If this checkfails, or if the witch is twice or more your experience level regard-less, you cannot determine their color (other than to know it’s notthe same as yours). If the witch is concealed, a successful Spotcheck (opposed by her Hide check if she is staying out of sightdeliberately) is required to know where the witch whose presenceyou have detected is, but even without actually seeing the witch,you know that there is a witch in the area. Using this feat is a full-round action that does not draw an attack of opportunity.

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Witch Spell DescriptionsThe following new witch spells appear in alphabetical order, not by spell level.@ Denotes a change to this spell.

ATONEMENT @

In addition to its other effects (see Chapter 11 of the PHB), this spell can restorethe magical abilities of a witch who has lost them via bad karma (inflicting damage onothers directly through magic, see witch class, Chapter 2). Treat this like restoringthe spell powers of a cleric or druid (including XP cost); see the spell description inthe PHB for details. Only gray witches have access to this spell (see gray witchprestige class, Chapter 2).

BLIGHT

TransmutationLevel: Clr 3, Wit 3Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Area or creature touchedArea: See textDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Fortitude negates (see text)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell curses a target or area with infertility. If used on a creature, thatcreature becomes unable to sire or bear offspring. A successful Fortitude savingthrow negates the spell, otherwise the effects can only be reversed by a removecurse, heal, limited wish, miracle, or wish spell. Targets of this spell are usually notaware that they have been subjected to this curse.

If the spell is used on an area of land, it affects all normal plant life (grasses,briars, bushes, creepers, thistles, trees, vines, etc.) within a half-mile radius automati-cally (monstrous and/or intelligent plant life is unaffected). The affected plants willnot bear fruit or seeds (resulting in terrible blight) and die within two weeks of thecasting, and any new plants brought into the area will be only a third as productiveas normal for at least a full growing season. A plant growth spell can reverse theeffects of a blight spell as per the spell. Casters often use blight (or simply the threatof it) as a curse against their enemies.

BODY OF EYES

DivinationLevel: Sor/Wiz 3, Wit 3Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 minuteTarget: YouDuration: 1 minute/level (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

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Body of eyes covers the caster’s skin and clothing with eye-shaped spots that allow vision in a 360-degree radius around thecaster. While the spell lasts, the caster gains a +10 circumstancebonus to Search and Spot checks. She also retains her Dexteritybonus to AC even while flat-footed and cannot be flanked. Thecaster cannot, however, avert or close his eyes to avoid gazeattacks while the spell lasts.

Material Component: The preserved head or eye of achameleon, spider, or insect.

IMBUE WITCH BALL

AbjurationLevel: SpecialComponents: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: TouchTarget: Glass ballDuration: Until triggeredSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell is used to create witch balls to protect ritual areasand other sacred locations. Before beginning this spell, the witchmust consecrate some water to be placed within the witch ball. Theball itself should be consecrated as well. To function, a witch ballmust be hanging freely and unhidden. The ball itself must be creat-ed by a witch using the Craft (witch tools) skill (see Chapters 2 &3).

When this spell is cast, the witch must choose what effectshe desires it to possess. Witch balls may have any one of the fol-lowing functions:

Anti-observation - The witch ball prevents attempts to scryan area of 10 feet radius around it. This is effective against arcaneeye, clairaudience/clairvoyance, scrying, greater scrying, locatecreature (if the target creature is within the protected area), oragainst a single use of a crystal ball against the protected location.The witch ball so empowered turns a smoky orange color, andshatters when an attempt to scry the area is detected and repulsed(which is automatic, negating the spell used as well if that waswhat it was). In addition, the person who attempted the scryingmust make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or suffer a blinding headacheand temporary blindness (for 1d4 hours) due to the searing orangeflash that they ‘see’ as the ball shatters. [This function is treated asa 2nd level spell.]

Protection from Evil - As the spell of that name. The ball soempowered turns a sparkling cloudy white, and shatters when thespell is triggered by the attempted intrusion of an evil being intothe protected area. [This function is treated as a 1st level spell.]

Spell Reflector - This variant can protect a 10-ft. radius areaaround the witch ball from one of the following spells: chaos ham-mer, color spray, fireball, flame strike, lightning bolt (includeschain lightning), magic missile, meteor swarm, Otiluke's freezingsphere, prismatic spray, or sunbeam (includes sunburst). When thechosen spell is cast into the area, the caster must make level check(DC 10 + the level of the creating witch) to overcome the witchball’s magic or it is reflected back upon the caster (who must thenmake any appropriate saves or suffer the consequences). If thecaster successfully makes the level check, the witch ball providesno protection against the spell. Regardless of whether or not it suc-

cessfully protected the area against the chosen spell, the witch ballso empowered turns a yellow color, and shatters as it reflects thespell. [This function is treated as a 3rd level spell.]

Spell Catcher - This variant can "catch" any spell cast intothe area of effect - a 10-ft. radius circle centered on the ball - andstore it for up to 1 day per level of the witch who created the witchball. Each spell catcher witch ball can catch but one spell, and thatwill be the first cast into the area from outside it. The ball turns acloudy pale violet color when the spell is cast, and turns a darkerreddish-purple when it catches a spell. It shatters when the spell isreleased again, an action under the control of the witch whoempowered it. There is no means of detecting what spell has beencaught except by releasing it. Area effect spells will be centered onthe witch ball when released, other spells - e.g. magic missile -emanate from it in a random direction (see the rules forGrenadelike Weapon Attacks in Chapter 8 of the PHG). [This func-tion is treated as a 3rd level spell.]

NATURE’S BOUNTY

TransmutationLevel: Drd 2, Rgr 1, Wit 2Components: V, S, M/DFCasting Time: 1 minuteRange: One creature touched/2 levelsTarget: Creatures touchedDuration: One daySaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes

By performing a short ritual and evoking this spell, you cancall upon the blessings of nature for a group of people (possiblyincluding yourself), asking the natural world and its creatures tohelp provide for their needs. Those affected by this spell gain a +1sacred bonus per caster level (maximum of +10) on WildernessLore checks used to gather food and water and to survive in thewilderness.

Witches and druids commonly cast this spell on hunting par-ties before they go out, to help ensure that the hunt will be plenti-ful.

PROTECTION FROM SPIRITS

AbjurationLevel: Wit 1Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: TouchTarget: Creature touchedDuration: 1 minute/level (D)Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: No (see text)

This spell works like protection from evil (see Chapter 11 ofthe PHB), except it only affects creatures classed as spirits (spiritsare defined as creatures of the elemental or outsider types, or of theincorporeal type, thus ghosts and spectres are spirits – for moreinformation, see The Shaman’s Handbook from Green Ronin), andaffects them regardless of their alignment. Instead of hedging outsummoned and conjured creatures, the spell only prevents bodilycontact with spirits (even incorporeal ones).

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Witch Spell List

0-LEVELCreate WaterCure Minor WoundsDancing LightsDazeDetect PoisonFlareGhost SoundGuidanceInflict Minor WoundsMage HandMendingResistance

1ST-LEVELAnimal FriendshipBaneBlessCalm AnimalsCalling Candle**Candle of Return**Cause FearCharm PersonCommandCure Light WoundsDoomEndure ElementsHarmony Candle**HypnotismImbue Witch Ball***Inflict Light WoundsLove Identity Candle**Obscuring MistProtection from Chaos/Evil/Good/LawProtection from SpiritsSleepSummon Monster I Summon Nature’s Ally IUnseen Servant

2ND-LEVELAidAnimal MessengerAnimal TranceBarkskinBlindness/DeafnessBlurBull’s StrengthCalm EmotionsCandle of the Wise**Cat’s GraceCure Moderate WoundsDarknessDelay PoisonEnthrallHold AnimalHold PersonHypnotic Pattern

Imbue Witch Ball***Inflict Moderate Wounds Obscure ObjectProsperity Candle**Resist ElementsScareSilenceSpeak with AnimalsSuggestionSummon Monster IISummon Nature’s Ally IISummon Swarm Syrilla’s Rose Garden*Tree ShapeWhispering Wind

3RD-LEVELBestow CurseBlink Blight*Body of Eyes*Charm MonsterClairaudience/ClairvoyanceConfusionContagionCreate Food & WaterCure Serious WoundsDominate AnimalEverlasting Candle**FearGust of WindImbue Witch Ball***Inflict Serious WoundsLesser GeasLove Attraction Candle**Meld into StoneMemory Candle**Nature’s Bounty*Neutralize PoisonPhantom SteedProtection from ElementsRemove CurseRemove DiseaseScryingSlowSummon Monster IIISummon Nature’s Ally III

4TH-LEVELAir WalkBreak EnchantmentControl WaterDetect ScryingDivinationDominate PersonEnervationHold MonsterLeomund’s Secure ShelterLesser Planar Ally

Minor Globe of InvulnerabilityPolymorph OtherPolymorph SelfQuenchRainbow PatternRusting Grasp ShoutSummon Monster IVSummon Nature’s Ally IVTongues

5TH-LEVELAnti-magic Candle**Contact Other PlaneCommuneCommune with NatureDeath Candle**Dispel Chaos/Evil/Good/LawDreamGreater Command HallowMagic Jar Mind FogMord’s Faithful Hound NightmarePasswallPrying EyesSpell ResistanceStone ShapeSummon Monster VSummon Nature’s Ally VTelekinesisTransmute Mud to RockTransmute Rock to MudUnhallow

6TH-LEVELAnti-magic FieldBanishmentControl WeatherEyebiteEtherealnessFlesh to StoneForbiddanceGeas/QuestGlobe of InvulnerabilityGreater ScryingMass SuggestionMove EarthPlane ShiftPlanar AllyRepulsionStone TellSummon Monster VI Summon Nature’s Ally VIVeil

7TH-LEVELForcecageGreater ScryingPhase DoorShadow WalkSpell TurningSequesterSummon Monster VII Summon Nature’s Ally VIITransmute Metal to WoodTrue SeeingWind Walk

8TH-LEVELHoly AuraMass CharmMazePolymorph Any ObjectPrismatic WallProtection from SpellsRepel Metal or StoneReverse GravitySummon Monster VIII Summon Nature’s Ally VIIISymbolWord of Recall

9TH-LEVELAntipathyAstral ProjectionElemental SwarmForesightGateShapechangeSummon Monster IXSummon Nature’s Ally IXSympathyTemporal StasisTime Stop

* Denotes new spells, see the text

following the lists.

** Denotes new Ritual Candle

Magic spell (see Chapter 5 for

details).

*** This spell can be cast at various

levels of power (see the spell

description for details).

Bolded spells denote spells normally

only usable by evil, gray, and

black witches.

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SYRILIA’S ROSE GARDEN

EvocationLevel: Sor/Wiz 2, Wit 2Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Effect: 30-ft. radius emanation centered on a creature, object or

point in spaceDuration: 1 minute/levelSaving Throw: Will negates or none (object)Spell Resistance: Yes or no (object)

This spell overwhelms the sense of smell of all those crea-tures in its effect with a pervading odor of roses. The smell is sointense that it completely counters the effects of the spell stinkingcloud, the scent special quality that some creatures possess, allstench or nausea effects, and any other olfactory-based effect thatwould normally require a saving throw. All creatures are immuneto these effects while within the spell’s area of effect, and no smellwhatsoever issues from, enters, or passes through the area. Anyongoing scent-induced effects, such as nausea, are suppressedwhile within the area of effect of this spell.

The spell can be cast on a point in space, but the effect is sta-tionary unless cast on a mobile object. The spell can be centeredon a creature, and the effect then radiates from the creature andmoves as it moves. An unwilling creature can attempt a Will saveto negate the spell and creatures with spell resistance must attemptto use this ability to try and negate the spell. Items in a creature'spossession receive saves, and are protected by spell resistance,while unattended objects and points in space do not.

Material Component: A handful of rose petals.

Circle Magic

Witches gain access to circle magic at 5th level. They gener-ally use these spells to encircle allies to protect them from harm.The witch can call forth any spell listed in the circle level that shehas access to; she does not need to prepare the spell ahead of time.Circle Magic spells can be combined like other spells.

ABJURATION

Level: 1st Circle MagicComponents: V, S, M/DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Emanates in a 10-ft. radius from the caster or creaturetouchedTarget: Creature touchedDuration: 10 minutes/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: No

Any opponent attempting to strike or otherwise directlyattack the warded creatures, even with a targeted spell, mustattempt a Will save. If the save succeeds, the opponent can attacknormally and is unaffected by that casting of the spell. If the savefails, the opponent can’t follow through with the attack, that part ofthe attacker’s action is lost, and the attacker can’t directly attackthe warded creatures for the duration of the spell. Those notattempting to attack the subjects remain unaffected by the spell.This spell does not prevent the warded creatures from being

attacked or affected by area or effect spells (fireball, summonswarm, etc.). While protected by this spell, the subjects cannotattack without breaking the spell but may use non-attack spells oractions. This allows a warded witch to heal wounds, for example,or to cast bless, perform an augury, summon creatures, cast a lightspell in the area, and so on.

Witch Focus: A blue candle.

MAGIC CIRCLE AGAINST SPIRITS

AbjurationLevel: 1st Circle MagicComponents: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Emanates in a 10-ft. radius from touched creatureTarget: Creature TouchedDuration: 10 minutes/level Saving Throw: Will Negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: No (see text)

As protection from spirits (see Witch Spell Descriptions inthis chapter) except that it encompasses a larger area and its dura-tion is longer. It can also be used as a magical prison for a spiritlike a magic circle against evil. This spell is not cumulative withprotection from spirits or other protection or magic circle spellsand vice versa.

MAGIC CIRCLE OF AID

Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]Level: 2nd Circle Magic Components: V, S, M/DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Emanates in a 10-ft. radius from touched creatureTarget: Living creature touchedDuration: 10 minutes/levelSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Allied subjects in the area of effect are encouraged just aswith bless (+1 morale bonus to attack rolls and saves against feareffects), plus they gain 1d8 temporary hit points.

Witch Focus: A blue candle.

MAGIC CIRCLE OF PROTECTION FROM ARROWS

AbjurationLevel: 3rd Circle MagicComponents: V, S, FCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Emanates in a 10-ft. radius from touched creatureTarget: Creature touchedDuration: 20 minutes/level or until dischargedSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The warded creatures gain resistance to ranged weapons inthe form of damage reduction 10/+1 against ranged weapons.Subjects ignore the first 10 points of damage each time they takedamage from a ranged weapon, though a weapon with a +1 orgreater enhancement bonus or any magical attack bypasses thereduction. The damage reduction increases with the caster level to10/+2 at 12th, 10/+3 at 15th, and 10/+4 at 18th. Once the spell hasprevented a total of 10 points of damage per caster level (maxi-mum 100 points) or the spell’s duration ends, it is discharged.

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MAGIC CIRCLE OF NEGATIVE ENERGY PROTECTION

AbjurationLevel: 4th Circle MagicComponents: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Emanates in a 10-ft. radius from touched creatureTarget: Living creature touchedDuration: 1 minute/levelSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The warded creatures gain partial protection from undeadcreatures that use negative energy as well as against certainweapons and spells that drain energy levels. The negative energyprotection spell uses positive energy, which can offset the effectsof a negative energy attack. Each time warded creatures are

struck by a negative energy attack that drains levels or abilityscores, they must make a level check using the casting witch’slevel (1d20 + witch level) against a DC of 11 + the attacker’sHD. If this check succeeds, the energies cancel with a brightflash of light and a thunderclap. The warded creatures take onlyhit point damage from the attack (in any) and do not suffer anydrain of experience levels or ability scores, regardless of thenumber of levels or ability score points the attack would havedrained. An attacking undead creature also takes 2d6 points ofdamage from the positive energy. An attacking caster or weaponreceives no damage. If the check does not succeed, the negativeenergy attack deals its normal damage. An attacking undead crea-ture in such a situation does not take any positive energy damage.

MAGIC CIRCLE OF POISON NEUTRALIZATION

Conjuration (Healing)Level: 5th Circle MagicComponents: V, S, M/DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Emanates in a 10-ft. radius from touched creatureTarget: Creature or object of up to 1 cu. ft./level touchedDuration: 10 minutes/level (Instantaneous)Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)

This spell wards an area to detoxify poisons, and any crea-ture stepping within that area of effect or already within the areawhen the spell is cast is affected. The spell immediately detoxi-fies any poisons present in creatures within the spell’s confines,and those poisoned creature suffer no additional damage oreffects from the poison, and any temporary effects are ended, butthe spell does not reverse instantaneous effects, such as hit pointdamage, temporary ability damage, or effects that don’t go awayon their own.

This spell also neutralizes the poison in a poisonous crea-ture or object. A poisonous creature replenishes its poison at itsnormal rate.

Witch Focus: A blue candle.

GREATER HEALING CIRCLE

Conjuration (Healing)Level: Clr 7, Drd 8, Healing 7, 5th Circle MagicComponents: V, S, M/DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: 20 ft.Area: All living allies and undead creatures within a 20-ft. radiusburst centered on the characterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Fortitude half (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Positive energy spreads out in all directions from the pointdesignated by the caster, curing 2d8 points of damage +2 pointper caster level (maximum +40) to all nearby living allies. Inaddition, the positive energy so released targets undead creaturesin the area of affect, and like standard cure spells, greater healingcircle damages undead in its area rather than curing them.

Witch Focus: A blue candle.

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Circle Magic Spell List

1ST CIRCLE

Magic Circle of Sanctuary*Magic Circle against ChaosMagic Circle against EvilMagic Circle against GoodMagic Circle against LawMagic Circle against SpiritsWind Wall

2ND CIRCLE

Magic Circle of Aid*Wall of FireWall of IceWall of Thorns

3RD CIRCLE

Magic Circle of Protection from Arrows*Healing CircleWall of ForceWall of Stone

4TH CIRCLE

Circle of DoomMagic Circle of Negative Energy Protection*Wall of Iron

5TH CIRCLE

Circle of DeathMagic Circle of Poison Negation*Greater Circle of Healing*Magic Circle of Sanctuary

* Denotes new spells, see the text following the lists.Bolded spells denote spells normally only usable by evil, gray,

and black witches.

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Combined Witch Ritual Magic

Starting at 2nd level, witches can combine their magic withother witches of at least 2nd level. Coven witches may safely com-bine with up to twelve other witches (more is possible, but very dan-gerous) of their coven or color. A Solis may only combine with otherwitches of like color or seek to combine her abilities with the forceof Nature (the Goddess and the God's spirit manifested into theworld).

COMBINING WITH COVEN MEMBERSOR WITCHES OF THE SAME COLOR

To successfully combine spells with her coven members, theinitiating witch (usually the highest-level witch, or the witch withthe highest Wisdom if there are more than one with the highestlevel) must succeed at a Ritual check (DC 10 + spell level + 1 forevery witch combined to the initiating witch). If a witch attempts tocombine her magic with witches of like color, she must succeed at aRitual check (DC 13 + spell level + 1/witch combined to the initiat-ing witch). Only the initiating witch rolls the Ritual check.

The initiating witch of the combined casting actually casts thespell, and she uses the combined witches' added power to strengthenthe spell's aspects (duration, damage, etc.). If successful, the leadwitch can cast any spell she knows, adding 1/3 of the total of theother combined witches' witch levels to her own for purposes of thecasting. The resulting combined level is referred to as the castingwitch’s effective caster level. Additionally, if the spell is cast from apower point (see Variant True Ritual Rules later in this chapter), likea true ritualized magic circle (see True Rituals below), she may addone more level to her modified caster level total. A Ritual check isrequired for each spell the ritual leader attempts to cast to see if shecan successfully harness the others' energies into her own spells.

Example: Marlay is a 7th-level witch, and she wants to com-bine with five other witches to cast Syrilla's rose garden (a 3rd levelspell). She needs to roll a Ritual check at DC 18 (10 + 3 for spelllevel + 5 for number of witches to combine), and she does so suc-cessfully. The other witches are levels 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (20 total lev-els). Dividing those levels by 3 (20/3 = 6, rounded down), Marlayadds 6 levels to her own, making her effective caster level 13. Thus,she can cast Syrilla's rose garden as if she were a 13th-level witch.

COMBINING WITH NATURE

To successfully combine with Nature, a witch must succeed ata Ritual check (DC 13 + spell level). If the witch succeeds at the DCcheck, subtract the DC check needed from her total rolled, and con-sult the table in the Combining with Nature sidebar to decide howmuch of Nature’s force she has harnessed.

Example: Marlay, the 7th-level witch, wants to combine withNature to cast the 3rd-level summon monster III spell. She needs toroll a Ritual check at DC 13 (10 + 3 for spell level), and she suc-ceeds with a 19. Subtracting 13 (the DC needed to combine withNature) from 19 (her total rolled), leaves 6. On the Combining withNature sidebar chart, a 6 means that Marlay was successfully ableto add 3 levels to her level for purposes of casting this spell. Thus,her effective caster level is 10, and she casts summon monster III asif she were a 10th-level witch.

COMBINED RITUAL MAGIC

Combining with witches of the same coven: DC = 10 + spell level + number of witches combined to the initi-ating witch

Combining with witches of the same color:DC = 13 + spell level + number of witches combined to the initi-ating witch

Combining with Nature:DC = 13 + spell level

Effective Caster Level = the initiating witch’s level + 1/3 total ofother witches’ levels (the result is rounded down)

COMBINING WITH NATURE

When combining with Nature, use the following chart to decidethe successful witch’s effective casting level. The numbers indi-cate how much the witch succeeded by, thus 0-1 means the witchrolled either the exact required DC to combine with Nature or 1over.

0-1 +1 level2-4 +2 levels5-7 +3 levels8-10 +4 levels11-13 +5 levels14-15 +6 levels16-20+ +7 levels

No more than 7 levels can be added from combining with Nature.

FAILURE TO COMBINE

Witches failing to combine suffer damage equal to (the combinedbonus level X spell level)

Saves: To save for half damage, each witch needs to roll a Willsave (DC 15 + spell level).

HARNESSING UNKNOWN & HIGHER-LEVEL SPELLS

Unknown Spell DC = 20 + spell level –1 per combined witch Higher-Level Spell DC = 22 + spell level –1 per combined witch

Spell Slots: To cast a higher-level spell than the caster is ordinar-ily allowed access to, the initiating witch must forfeit a totalnumber of spell levels equal to the spell level she wants to cast.

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FAILUREIf the lead witch fails to ritually combine the other witches'

magic with her own, then the energies built up from the castingattempt create a backlash that affects all the witches involved. Theunbound energy assaults the minds and bodies of each witch,resulting in physical damage (totaling the combined bonus level Xthe spell’s level in points of damage). A successful Will save (DC15 + spell level) reduces this damage by half. Failed combiningsalso result in lost spells. The more people involved in the combin-ing, the more damage is dealt.

Example: If Marlay had failed to join the five witches to her,then each witch would have suffered 18 points of damage (6 com-bined bonus levels X spell level of 3). The witches could stillattempt a Will save (DC 18) to take only half damage (9 points).

CASTING TIMEThe casting time of a combined ritual is the base time for a

combined ritual casting X the number of participants X the spelllevel. See Table 4—1: to determine the base time for the combinedritual casting based on the normal casting time of the spell. Thenumber of participants does not include the lead witch, only thewitches she combines with.

Table 4—1: Ritual Casting Times

Normal Casting Time Base Ritual Casting TimeFree action 1 Minute1 action 3 MinutesFull Round 10 MinutesOther 10 x normal

Casting time = Base time X spell level X # of participants

Material Costs = 10 gp X spell level X # of participants

COMPONENTSCombined ritual casting requires expensive material compo-

nents. These components cost 10 gp x the number of participatingwitches x the spell level and are in addition to any componentcosts the chosen spell may already have.

HARNESSING UNKNOWN & HIGHER-LEVEL SPELLSAs witches do not prepare their spells, they can attempt to

tap into the Goddess’ and God's spirit and call forth greater spellsthan their ritual leader is capable of alone, and even spellsunknown to her personally (a witch spell that she herself does notknow, see the witch class in Chapter 2 for details) or ordinarilybeyond her power (a normally inaccessible spell). Calling forth aspell unknown to the initiating witch, but still one that is of alevel that she could normally cast, requires another Ritual checkat a higher DC (20 + spell level), though she is granted a +1enhancement bonus for every witch involved in the ritual otherthan herself. To harness a spell of a higher level than initiatingwitch could normally cast requires a Ritual check (DC 22 + spell-

level), though she is granted a +1 enhancement bonus for everywitch involved in the ritual other than herself; not easy, but notimpossible. A higher-level spell must be one accessible via theresulting ritual combined level. Thus, to harness an 8th-levelspell, the ritual combined total level of the leading witch wouldneed to be at least 15, and the required DC to cast would be 30(she can add +1 to her roll for each witch combining with her).Additionally, to cast this higher-level spell, the witch must forfeita total number of spell levels equal to the spell level she wants tocast. So, casting an 8th-level spell she did not have access to asan 8th-level witch, would require that she give up other spellsslots, possibly but not limited to (2) 1st-level spell slots and (3)2nd-level spell slots. Obviously, a witch cannot cast a higher-level spell in such a ritual if she does not have the available spellslots to sacrifice.

Example: Marlay, a 7th-level witch, wants to cast greatercommand, a 5th level spell, something she currently does nothave access to at her level. She attempts to combine with fiveother witches to do so, which requires a Ritual check at DC 22(22 base + 5 for 5th-level spell – 5 for five combined witches).The other witches are levels 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (20 total levels).Dividing those levels by 3 (20/3 = 6, round down), Marlay adds6 combined bonus levels to her own, making her caster level 13.Thus, she could cast greater command as if she were a 13th-levelwitch.

If she fails to combine with these witches (i.e., she fails theRitual check), then each witch suffers 30 points of damage fromthe uncontrolled energy backlash (6 combined bonus levels Xspell level of 5). The witches can attempt a Will save (DC 20) totake only half damage (15 points of damage).

RITUAL INTERRUPTIONIt is the vitke's job to keep the coven from being interrupt-

ed during power raisings (which includes true rituals, see below).If for some reason the vitke fails (or no vitke is present, in thecase of Solis or color-joining witches or for some other reason)and a ritual combining is interrupted before it can be completed,then every witch involved in the power raising must roll aConcentration check (DC 13 +1 per every round after the first theritual has continued into the power raising). If one or more of thewitches is attacked, the DC rises to 17 +1 per every round afterthe first the ritual has continued into the power raising. Anywitch failing to concentrate on the power raising must roll a1d12, adding 1 to the result for every round into the ritual afterthe first, and consult the Ritual Interruption Consequences chartbelow--unless she rolls a 1 on her Concentration check; on a nat-ural roll of 1, then treat as if she had a 20+ result on the chartbelow.

The witches must continue to roll Concentration checksduring each round of interruption. If any member of the combin-ing is lost from a previous round, add +1/per lost witch to theConcentration check's DC, in addition to any other modifiers.The combinings success is only determined at the end of the ritu-al’s casting time (using only those witches who have managed tomaintain their concentration to determine the power of the ritual).

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Table 4—2: Ritual Interruption Consequences (roll1d12 and add 1 to the result for every round into the ritualbeyond the first)

1 Treat as if the witch rolled a 20 (see below)2-6 Witch suffers normal damage as per failed combining;

may save for half damage.7-9 Witch suffers double damage as per failed combining; may

save for half damage.10-12 Witch suffers triple damage as per failed combining; may

save for half damage.13-14 Witch suffers quadruple damage as per failed combining;

may save for half damage.15-18 Witch suffers quadruple damage as per failed combining;

may save for half; she also loses access to her witch abili-ties for 1d10 days.

19 Witch suffers quadruple damage as per failed combining;may save for half damage; she also loses access to herwitch abilities for 1d20 days.

20+ Witch suffers quadruple damage as per failed combining;may save for half damage; the witch must also make asuccessful Will save (DC 18) or permanently lose accessto her witch magic (it's as if the magic was burned fromher blood--and indeed, such witches are no longer suscep-tible to iron unless healed via a limited wish or wishspell). If she passes the Will save, the witch still losesaccess to her witch abilities for 2d20 days. Additionally,any witch who permanently loses her magic must makeanother Will save (DC 18) or become feebleminded, as perthe spell.

True Rituals

In addition to combing their abilities to cast normal witchspells, witches can combine their magic to perform true rituals(these instances are often called power raisings). True rituals arevery complicated spells that are either the stuff of legend or thebackbone of religions. They can only be cast in ritual form andcannot be augmented further with any feats or other abilities. Truerituals have no schools of magic associated with them; their greatpower combines all aspects of magic. True rituals were firstdescribed in Sword & Sorcery’s Rituals & Relics book. Some ofthe true ritual information for witches presented here differs slight-ly from the information presented therein.

All witch true rituals, except create magic circle (see CreateMagic Circle in the Witch True Rituals section in this chapter),must be performed within the confines of a true ritual magic circle.Additionally, if the GM allows the variant rules (see Power Pointsunder Variant True Ritual Rules in this chapter), then these magiccircles can add 1 to the true ritual’s effective caster level (seeCasters Required below) for true ritual castings. True rituals arecast as normal spells with a few exceptions.

Components: All true rituals have verbal, somatic, materialand experience cost in the spell’s components. Each member per-forming the ritual must make a Ritual skill check (DC 25). If suc-

cessful, the witch has superbly controlled the flows of spiritsaround her, and she does not suffer the experience point drain.

Casters Required: Each true ritual has a minimum number ofrequired casters. Witches do not prepare spells ahead of time, butthey must ritually cleanse themselves before preparing for a trueritual. True rituals use a caster’s spell slot of the appropriate level.When determining the caster’s level, use the level of the highestcaster (usually the initiating witch) and add the number of otherwitches participating in the ritual. This is the witch’s effective cast-er level, and all the spell’s effects are based upon this level. Thewitches still must effectively combine their magic to perform truerituals, and this requires a Ritual check (the DC of the combiningis 10 + spell level + 1/per witch the initiating witch combineswith—see Ritual skill in Chapter 3). Additionally, to cast this spell,the witch must forfeit a spell slot equal to the level of true ritualspell she is casting, or in the case of a spell that is ordinarilybeyond her power, a total number of spell levels equal to the spelllevel she wants to cast. So, a witch casting a 5th-level true ritualwould need to surrender a 5th-level spell slot, or multiple spellslots if she did not ordinarily have access to spells of this level(possibly, but not limited to, (3) 1st-level spell slots and (1) 2nd-level spell slot). Obviously, a witch cannot cast a true ritual at all ifshe does not have the available spell slots to sacrifice, and only theinitiating witch can sacrifice these spell slots.

The Harnessing Higher-Level spells section above applies toharnessing higher-level rituals (use the same DC check). All truerituals are considered spells the witch doesn’t normally haveaccess to, so disregard the rules covering that topic there.

Example: Cargier the white, an 8th-level witch, wants tocombine with 6 of her sisters to cast a 7th-level true ritual, needingto roll a Ritual check at DC 23 (DC 22 to harness a higher-levelritual + 7 spell level –6 for each participating witch). If they suc-ceed at the combining, Cargier’s effective caster level becomes 14(8 for Cargier’s level + 6 for the number of sisters she successfullycombines with), which allows her to cast the 7th-level true ritualspell empower vitke/moonblade. Casting this spell requires her toforfeit spell slots adding up to seven; in this case, she sacrifices (4)1st-level slots and (3) 2nd-level slots. She then casts the empowervitke/moonblade spell as per a 14th-level witch.

Note: Casting true rituals at power point (see Variant: PowerPoints below) can add 1 to the caster’s effective level. Also, somewitches have familiars capable of combining their magic, so afamiliar could be considered a true ritual participant if it has theCombine Magic familiar feat (see Familiars in Chapter 6).

Please note that true rituals add the number of participatingwitches to the highest witch caster’s level, but Combined Ritualmagic (see the Combined Witch Ritual Magic section in this chap-ter), which can enhance any spell, uses a different method of deter-mining the caster’s effective level.

Failure: If the lead witch fails to ritually combine the otherwitches' magic with her own during a true ritual, then the energiesbuilt up from the casting attempt create a backlash that affects allthe witches involved. The unbound energy assaults the minds andbodies of each witch, resulting in physical damage (totaling thecombined bonus levels X the spell’s level in points of damage). Asuccessful Will save (DC 16 + spell level) reduces this damage byhalf. Failed combinings also result in lost spells. The more peopleinvolved in the combining, the more damage is dealt.

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TRUE RITUAL COMBINED CASTING

True rituals effective caster level = initiating witch’s level + num-ber of witches combined to.

DC to cast a true ritual of accessible level = 10 + spell level

DC to harness a higher-level true ritual = 22 + spell level –1/percombined witch

Spell Slots: The initiating witch must forfeit a spell slot (s) to casta true ritual spell; harnessing higher-level true ritual spellsrequires her to forfeit spell slots totaling the spell level cast.

True Ritual Combining Failure

Failure results in damage = witches’combined bonus levels (num-ber or witches combining to the initiating witch) X the spell’s levelin points of damage.

Saves: Witches can attempt a Will save (DC 16 + spell level) tosave for half damage.

Example: If Cargier, from the previous example above, hadfailed to join the six witches to her, then each witch, includingCargier, would suffer 18 points of damage from uncontrolledenergy backlash (6 combined bonus levels X spell level of 3). Thewitches could attempt a Will save (DC 19) to take only half dam-age (9 points).

Proxy: Some true rituals allow a proxy in place of one ormore of the required casters; witch true rituals do not.

Saving Throw: True rituals have more power behind them,which in turn makes them more difficult to resist. Any savingthrow against a true ritual spell has a DC of 15 + the level of thespell + the relevant ability modifier (Wisdom in the case ofwitches) of the highest-level caster participating in the ritual.

RESEARCHING ORIGINAL TRUE RITUALS

Any witch can attempt to create a new, original true ritual.But creating a true ritual is much more demanding than creating anormal spell. Like research of regular spells, the creation of truewitch rituals requires meditation, prayer, and sacrifices in ablessed natural location. The research must be conducted by atleast three witches from the same coven or of the same color.During the research, each of the witches must pay 1,000 gp perweek with a minimum of one week per effective level of the true

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ritual. This money goes into the same fees, experimentation andcomponents that regular spell research consumes. At the end ofthe research period, each of the researchers makes a Ritual checkagainst a DC of 20 + the spell level. If all of the researchers suc-ceed, the new true ritual has successfully been created (assumingthe spell is viable). If any one of the researchers fails, then theresearch fails and they must all go through the research processagain if they wish to keep attempting to learn the true ritual.

The criteria for a viable true ritual are entirely dependentupon the requirements of the GM. Use the guidelines for newspell creations in Chapter 3 of the DMG. Compare any new trueritual concepts to those presented in below. The following arerequired for all true rituals:

•A minimum of three casters is required to perform a trueritual; more may be required depending upon the spell.

•The ritual must have an experience point cost to cast.Higher experience point costs can balance the power level ofsome true rituals. Succeeding at a Ritual check (DC 25) cannegate this experience point drain.

•The number of casters required to cast a true ritual is alsothe number of casters that are required to research the spell.Requiring a high number of casters can also serve to balance aritual’s power level, though not as much as an experience pointcost.

VARIANT TRUE RITUAL RULESGMs may want to use the following true ritual variant rules

in their campaigns to add even more depth. These rules areoptional, however.

Variant: Power PointsPower points exist throughout the world, where magic gath-

ers in greater amounts. These power points are located through-out the world and can be traced to regions called ley lines. Anymagic performed on these points is enhanced as if the caster werea level higher than normal. A witch’s true ritual magic circle is apower point, so casting other ritual magic within it allows 1 levelto be added to the group’s effective caster level. Witches alsoreceive a +1 skill modifier bonus to any Ritual checks performedwithin the true ritual magic circle.

Variant: Power Components• The variant for power components, found in the Chapter 3 of

the DMG, can be used for ritual spellcasting. For combinedcasting of spells, this variant of the rules works normally.But for true rituals, the use of power components will notcompletely replace the need for experience costs in the spellcasting. Power components of the true rituals eliminate onlyhalf the required experience cost; the casters of the spellmust still pay the remainder (unless they succeed at a Ritualcheck (DC 25), whereby they can negate the experiencepoint loss; see Components under the True Rituals section inthis chapter).

Witch True Rituals

1. MARRIAGE - Blesses a marriage.2. INDOCTRINATION - Allows a character to become a witch.3. VIGILANCE - Protects the casters from physical harm.4. CREATE MAGIC CIRCLE - Creates a permanent magic circle forrituals.5. DRAWING DOWN THE MOON/SUN - Calls the witches’ deity tothe circle.6. SEASONAL RITES - Bestows seasonal blessing to an area.7. EMPOWER VITKE/MOONBLADE - Imbues the coven’s chosenvitke with powers from the Goddess/God and creates the vitke’ssword.8. RESTORE THE LAND - Heals damage to the earth.9. GREATER VIGILANCE - Protects the casters from physical harm.

MARRIAGE

Blesses a marriageLevel: True Ritual – Wit 1Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 3Proxy: NoCasting Time: 1 hourRange: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Individuals to be married to one anotherDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

If the union between the couple is undertaken for love andaltruistic reasons, the two gain a blessing in times of need.Whenever either of the couple is in danger, both members gain a+1 luck bonus to AC, saves and skill checks. This effect lasts for ayear and a day.

Material Components: An offering of food and incense worth100 gold pieces.

XP Cost: 10 XP each caster. Special — the couple can paythe experience cost for up to two of the casters. This XP cost ispaid for equally between the two members of the couple.

INDOCTRINATION

Allows a character to become a witch.Level: True Ritual – Wit 2Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 3Proxy: NoCasting Time: 1 hourRange: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: One creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Any creature that is judged worthy gains the benefit ofbecoming a witch. If the creature already has a character class, thisallows her to multiclass to a witch. Witches only indoctrinatesomeone when they have been accepted into their coven. This isnot the only way to become a witch, but most covens officiallyindoctrinate people they find worthy of this gift, especially thosenot already flowing with the blood; true ritual transforms them.

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Material Components: An offering of food and incense worth100 gold pieces.

XP Cost: 10 XP each caster. Special — the new witch canpay the experience cost for the casters.

VIGILANCE

Protects the casters from physical harm.Level: True Ritual – Wit 3Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 3Proxy: NoCasting Time: 1 hourRange: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: CastersDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

For the duration of the ritual’s effect, the witches who per-formed the spell are blessed with damage reduction 10/+1. In addi-tion, any opponent attempting to physically or magically assaultthe casters during this time must attempt a Will save (DC 15). Ifthey succeed, they can attack the casters as normal; if they fail,they have no desire to attack the casters for the duration of thespell. Area-of-effect magical attacks (such as fireball) that includethe witches(s) in its effect do not require the attacker to make thesaving throw. The witches may attack without breaking this effect,but any creature they attack does not have to make the Will savesthereafter to attack the witches in return.

Material Components: 5,000 gp in gems, coin, crafted items,and/or incense.

XP Cost: 250 XP per caster.

CREATE MAGIC CIRCLE

Creates a permanent magic circle for witch rituals.Level: True Ritual – Wit 4Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 3Proxy: NoCasting Time: 3 daysRange: TouchEffect: One magic circle, generally 30 ft. in radiusDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

All witch true rituals, except create magic circle, must beperformed within the confines of a true ritual magic circle.

Creating a magic circle suitable for the true ritual requires asuccessful Ritual skill check (DC 20) by the highest level witchpresent, often the coven leader. After the magic circle has been cre-ated, it gains the benefits of a permanent protection from spirits(see the new Witch Spells section earlier in this chapter) within itsboundaries. This effect offers the same protection as protectionfrom evil, but the alignment of the attacker does not matter (thoughthe creature must be classed as a spirit). If this protection effect isdispelled, it automatically renews after one minute. Only the physi-cal destruction of the ring followed by a successful dispel attemptends the protection permanently.

Additionally, if the true ritual variant rules are used, the cir-cle is also a power point, and any spell cast from within the circle’sconfines adds +1 to the effective combined witch’s level (seeVariant True Ritual Rules and True Rituals earlier in this chapter).The witch can also add a +1 sacred bonus to any Ritual checksperformed within the circle.

Material Components: An offering of food, water andincense worth 1,000 gp is used during the creation.

XP Cost: 1,000 XP each caster.

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON/SUN

Calls the witches’ deity to the circle. Level: True Ritual – Wit 5Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 3Proxy: NoCasting Time: 1 hourRange: TouchTarget: Most powerful witch of the Goddess or God’s genderDuration: 1 round/levelSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This true ritual summons some of the Goddess or God’sessence to a magic circle. The deity’s spirit inhabits the body of themost powerful witch of the same gender present. The deity usesthe inhabited witch’s body to directly speak to those in the circle.The witches invoke the deity to directly seek out the deity’s wishesfor the coven. The deity always imparts his or her wishes, and mayadditionally be asked questions as per the commune spell.

Material Components: An offering of food, water andincense worth 1,000 gp is used during the creation.

XP Cost: 1,000 XP each caster.

SEASONAL RITES

Bestows the seasonal blessings to an area.Level: True Ritual – Wit 6Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 3Proxy: NoCasting Time: 1 day, during a solstice or equinoxRange: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Effect: All wildlife within range and all humanoids within thewitch circleDuration: 1 seasonSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Summer: This ritual is performed during the summer sol-stice. The added vigor of the participants from the celebration oflife results in a +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution (or +1 if theparticipant is not a witch or does not worship the witches’ deities).This bonus lasts until the autumnal equinox.

Spring: This ritual is performed during the vernal equinox.All creatures and people who benefit from this true ritual gain a +1resistance bonus on all saving throws. This bonus lasts until thesummer solstice. Furthermore, the countryside within two miles ofthe ritual benefits from the enrichment aspect of the plant growthspell over the course of the next year.

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Fall: This ritual is performed during the autumnal equinox.This spell affects an area of 1 square mile/level.

Fall crops affected by this ritual have twice the normal yield.Also, during the night of the autumnal equinox, on the cast-

ing of this spell, the barriers between the realms of the living andthe dead weaken. During this time, the casters may attempt to con-tact the dead, either to gain information or to wish them well intheir afterlife. Only creatures that died within the area of effect canbe reached in this way. If it is information that is sought after, thedead do not give up their secrets willingly and must be coercedinto talking. The highest level caster involved in the true ritualmust make a successful Wisdom check (DC 20) to speak with thedead. The insight gained from these shades results in the equiva-lent of either a legend lore, discern location, divination or anyother druidic divination spell of 6th level or less. If the Wisdomcheck roll is a natural 1, the attempt not only fails, but one of thespirits becomes irate and breaks through the boundary between theliving and the dead. This spirit manifests as a spectre and immedi-ately attacks any living creature in the area. The sites of great bat-tles are particularly hazardous, as the shades of the underworld aretoo numerous, quickly overrunning an area touched by this spell.In such areas a natural roll of 1-5 on the Wisdom check releases1d4+1 spectres into the world of the living.

Winter: This ritual is performed during the winter solstice.The celebration’s participants receive the benefit of an endure ele-ments (cold) until the vernal equinox.

Empower Vitke/MoonbladeAllows a witch to become a vitke and creates the vitke’s moon-blade.Level: True Ritual – Wit 7Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 5Proxy: NoCasting Time: 2 daysRange: Touch Duration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Any witch who meets the requirements to add the vitke pres-tige class (see Chapter 2) and is judged worthy gains the benefit ofbecoming a vitke, protector of the coven’s witches. Basically, thistrue ritual allows the witch to begin training in the vitke prestigeclass. During the ceremony, the witches guide a portion of theGoddess and God’s spirit into a masterwork bastard sword, therebycreating the vitke’s moonsword (see Moonsword, Chapter 2) withwhich she uses to protect the coven. No witch can become a vitkeunless she has been indoctrinated with this ritual, and this ritual isthe only means by which a moonsword can be created.

Material Components: A masterwork sword as well as20,000 gp in magical materials with which to infuse the swordwith its power.

XP Cost: 1,500 XP each caster.

RESTORE THE LAND

Heals damage to the earth.Level: True Ritual – Wit 8Components: V, S, M, DF, XP

Casters Required: 5Proxy: NoCasting Time: 1 weekRange: SpecialEffect: 1 mile radius per levelDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This ritual causes corrupted landscape to become fertile andto grow vegetation and foliage, regardless of the land’s currentstate. The land begins to reform itself, healing the rents in the earthand the corruption of the soil. The witches evoking this spell directthe growth of the land and the reshaping of the warped landscapeinto a more hospitable environment. Pure water sources become anintegral part of the area, allowing the new natural flora to growswiftly into maturity. Although animal life is not created with thisspell, fauna quickly flocks to the fruitful region.

Material Components: A sprouted seedling.XP Cost: 10,000 XP each caster.

GREATER VIGILANCE

Protects the casters from physical harm.Level: True Ritual – Wit 9Components: V, S, M, DF, XPCasters Required: 3Proxy: NoCasting Time: 1 hourRange: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: CastersDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

For the duration of the true ritual’s effect, the witches areblessed with damage reduction 10/+2 and a +1 sacred bonus to allsaving throws. In addition, any opponent attempting to physicallyor magically assault the casters during the spell’s effect mustattempt a Will save (DC 15 + the spell level + the lead caster’sWisdom bonus). If they succeed, they can attack the casters as nor-mal. Area-of-effect magical attacks (such as fireball) that includethe witches(s) in its effect do not require the attacker to make thesaving throw. If they fail, they cannot attack the casters for theduration of the spell. The witches may attack without breaking thiseffect, but any creature they attack does not have to make the Willsaves thereafter to attack the witches in return.

Material Components: 6,000 gp in coin, gems, handcrafteditems, and/or incense.

XP Cost: 500 XP per caster

Fetishes

A fetish is a small item that contains a witch spell. A witchcan release the spell from the fetish, as if she were casting it her-self. A fetish can only be used once.

Physical Description: Fetishes vary greatly in form, depend-ing on the witch who made them. Some common fetishes include:beaded necklaces or bracelets, collections of feathers, bones orcarved sticks (often tied with a leather thong), animal skulls, bonesor other animal parts, small bags filled with herbs, crystals or

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stones (often painted or carved), poppets, witch balls, and so forth.A fetish’s form may be related to the material component (s) of thespell it stores. For example, a fetish for a summon monster spellmight be a small bag or animal’s claw. Candles may not be fash-ioned into fetishes, as witches practice a different sort of magicwith them (see Candle Magic, Chapter 5).

Fetishes register as magical to detect magic spells andeffects, but may otherwise be overlooked by those not familiarwith them. A GM may require a Spellcraft check (DC 20 or more)for a non-witch to recognize that a fetish is a usable magical item.Most fetishes have AC 8, a hardness anywhere from 0 (paper,cloth, etc.) to 8 (for stones), from 1 to 5 hit points and a break DCfrom 8 to 15.

Fetishes can be stored in any manner their owner wishes, butare usually kept in a pouch or bag. Some fetishes are worn as jew-elry or adornment (dangling from a necklace or pinned to cloth-ing). This does not affect the number of other magic items thecharacter can wear, since a fetish must be held in the hand in orderto activate it.

Activation: To activate a fetish, the character must first knowwhat spell is stored in it. This requires a Spellcraft check (DC 15 +spell level) or the use of the analyze dweomer spell. Once the char-acter knows what spell is stored in the fetish, she can attempt tocast it.

Casting the spell: Just like using a scroll, the caster mustmeet certain requirements to use a fetish:

• The caster must be able to cast divine spells. Thus bards,sorcerers, and wizards cannot activate fetishes.

• The caster must have the spell on his or her class spell list.• The caster must have the requisite ability score to cast the

spell (for example, Charisma 15 for casting a 5th-levelwitch spell).

If the character meets these requirements, is a witch, and hercaster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can acti-vate the fetish without a check. If she meets the requirements andis not a witch, or her caster level is not at least equal to the spell’scaster level, she has to make a caster level check (DC = fetish’scaster level +1) to activate the fetish successfully. Non-witcheshave only half their normal caster level for activating a fetish,because of the differences between divine magic granted by theSpirit World and that used by other classes. If the character failsthis check, she must make a Charisma check (DC 5) to avoid amishap exactly like a scroll mishap (see Chapter 8 of the DMG). Anatural roll of 1 on this check always fails.

Fetishes are activated by spell completion, so using one is astandard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

Effect: A spell successfully activated from a fetish worksexactly like a spell cast in the normal way. The fetish’s caster levelis always at least the minimum level required to learn and cast thespell stored in it.

When successfully activated, a fetish is annihilated by thereleased magical energies, much like a normal material spell com-ponent.

Caster Level: The minimum level required to cast the spell;Prerequisites: Craft Fetish (see Chapter 3) and the spell to bestored; Market Price: Spell level X caster level X 25 gp; Weight: --

CHARGED FETISHESMore experienced witches can create fetishes that are not

used up in one casting. Not only can these charged fetishes cast aspell multiple times, they can cast it more easily as well.

Physical Description: A charged fetish appears the same asan ordinary fetish but it has charges, much like a wand. In fact,wands can be seen as a specific form of charged fetish. Like nor-mal fetishes, a charged fetish must be held in the hand in order toactivate it.

Activation: Charged fetishes use the spell trigger activationmethod, so activating the fetish is a standard action that does notprovoke an attack of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a cast-ing time of longer than 1 action, it takes that long to activate thefetish.) The user must have the spell the fetish stores on his spelllist, although he doesn’t have to know it or even be high enoughlevel to cast it. A charged fetish has 50 charges when created andeach use drains one charge from the fetish. A fetish that runs out ofcharges is no longer magical.

Caster Level: The minimum level required to cast the spell;Prerequisites: Craft Fetish (see Chapter 3), Craft Wand, and thespell to be stored; Market Price: Spell level X caster level X 750gp; Weight: --.

Charmes

Charms are single-use magic items that anyone can use, sim-ilar to potions. (In fact, potions are basically charms one uses bydrinking them.) Charms duplicate the effects of spells that affectthe user only, similar to potions. They’re also used up in the sameway; a charm is only good for one use, then its magic is gone.

Physical Description: Charms come in a variety of forms,including pieces of paper or bark inscribed with mystic symbols orrunes, small stones, pieces of jewelry, feathers, rabbit’s feet,incense, potions, oils, and so forth. Charms are usually smallenough to hold in a pouch or the palm of the hand.

Activation: Each charm has a specific means of activating it.A incense block charm must be burned, for example, while apotion must be imbibed, paper charms torn or burned, oil rubbedor poured over the skin, stones cast to the ground, or dust cast intothe air, and so forth. Activating a charm is a standard action thatprovokes an attack of opportunity, just like casting a spell. A userwho is successfully attacked must make a Concentration check(exactly like casting a spell) in order to successfully activate thecharm. Failure of the check spoils the charm; it becomes useless.Candles may not be fashioned into charms, as witches practice adifferent sort of magic with them (see Candle Magic, Chapter 5).

A successfully activated charm automatically casts its storedspell on the user at its caster level, having the normal effects givenin the spell description (including duration). All decisions about thespell that are normally made when it is cast are made when thecharm is created. The character using the charm doesn’t get anysay in the matter.

An activated charm is used up and no longer magical. Caster Level: The minimum level required to cast the spell;

Prerequisites: Craft Charm (see Chapter 3) and the spell to be stored; Market

Price: Spell level X caster level X 50 gp; Weight: --.

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Witch Broomsticks

Creation of a Witch’s BroomTo create a flying witch’s broom, first of all a witch must

gather the materials that she needs. Most brooms are made from anash staff, birch twigs and a willow binding; though some witchesprefer to use rare and magical darkwood for this purpose. Thewitch must cut her own materials, traveling alone (or with no onesave her familiar) into the woods to do so and she must performseveral rituals to "ask permission" of the plants that she uses.

The components of the broom are put together using theCraft (witch tools) skill, the witch then uses her Create Focus abili-ty (see the witch class, Chapter 2) to imbue it with her own spirit.A witch’s broom has AC 13 (when in flight), 15 hit points, and ahardness of 4.

Once the broom has been crafted, the witch needs to cast, orpay to have cast, the spells fly and permanency upon it. Manywitches find this the hardest part of the process, as – especially ifthey live in regions where witchcraft is frowned upon by society orauthority – they are reluctant to reveal their true nature to the spell-caster hired to undertake this work. Most Covens maintain contactswith friendly wizards or sorcerers to whom they can direct newmembers to who are in need of such assistance.

Caster Level: 5th (though a witch of any level may performthe initial crating of the broom and the proper rituals); Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item feat, fly, permanency; MarketPrice: 15,100 gp; Weight: 3 lb.

What else can a broom do?To get the most out of a broom, a witch needs the Ride

Broom skill (see Chapter 3), and perhaps the Witches’ Broom Feat(see Chapter 3).

Although flying is the most common use of a witch’s broom(which is treated like a broom of flying), they have other ritualpurposes. Some of these include:

• In Coven rituals, the Circle is often anointed by a juniormember sweeping her broom around the circumferencebefore a more senior member sprinkles salt or water over thearea and the vitke uses his moonsword to finally seal it readyfor the working to begin.

• Some witches use their brooms to dispel curses, particularly ifan individual believes that their house or other premises havebeen cursed. To do this, the witch sweeps the affected areavigorously with her broom, sweeping out the curse with thedirt. In a similar manner, witches often bless a house bysweeping it out, commonly done for newly-weds when theymove into their new home.

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FROM CALATIN’S NOTES:

I have learned that witches use many candles in their rituals and that candles aidtheir meditation. Witches burn these candles during rituals to generate various effects. I havegleaned the following information from a conversation with Abellatra the Brown, a witch renowned for hereffective use of candles in rituals.

Abellatra said, and I quote: "Candle magic is ritual magic that uses candles to focus your intent.During rituals, you must be clear about WHAT you want, but you leave the HOW to the universe." Shereiterated this throughout our conversation, saying that young witches often find this stepping-back thehardest thing to accept, as most are used to pushing and fighting for things they want. In fact, she saidthat many never fully grasp the concept of letting Nature take the course that is best; instead, they expendgreat energy and worry trying to navigate events. But I digress…

For rituals involving candles, Abellatra told me that witches always use their own handcrafted candles,as purchased candles or gifted candles do not work as well. Putting one’s own essence (spirit) into a per-sonally-crafted item allows the magic to flow more easily to the witch, whereas the taint of others on agifted or purchased candle interferes with this flow. Thus, for the purposes of candle magic, witchesalways make their own candles, and they make them from fine beeswax rather than tallow, as usingthe best materials aids the flow of magic, as well.

PREPARING CANDLES FOR USEWitches only use fresh, unused candles for their rituals, as old candles have a tendency

to pick up all manner of vibrations and influences from the people and things around them.For the very same reason, witches do not use candles that have been previously lit, as these,too, may hold undesired vibrations. After using candles in their rituals, most witches justlet them burn completely, so no one mistakenly tries to reuse them.

Many witches prepare their ritual candles with scented oils. Kallatra, a whitedythane, told me that while many witches think this imbues them with power, shebelieves that it does far more for the witch preparing the candles; the scents enable thewitches to center themselves and better focus on the ritual at hand.

When rubbing oil into a candle, most witches, I’m told, start at both ends and rubtowards the candle’s center, but some witches rub from top to bottom. Like many ofthe Craft’s finer details, it is more likely that a witch finds a way that works for her,and then sticks to it, regardless of how other witches do it. Lyria, a witch of myacquaintance, once said that if you wanted to draw something towards you, you rub fromtop to bottom, but that if you wanted to drive something away, you rub bottom to top.Everyone I spoke to, however, all adamantly agreed that you should never, ever rub oil inwith a to-and-fro motion. This action apparently ruins everything, rendering the candleentirely unusable, and some say that using such a candle could cause a spell to rebound onthe caster—though no one I talked to had personally witnessed such a tragedy.

Some witches also carve runes and symbols into their candles. Others are more repre-sentative and depict images relevant to the ritual they intend to perform. Obviously,appropriate symbolic colors may be used, or the carvings may be left uncolored.Witches use a white-handled knife to make these carvings.

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Unless there is an imperative reason for doing a ritual at aparticular time, all workings should correspond to the moon’scycles. For instance, banishings should be done as the moonwanes; drawing something to you, or making something happen,should await a waxing moon, and the full moon is a time whencreativity and energy are at their height. Witches avoid perform-ing rituals during moondark, though some witches do burn plaincandles then, to remind the moon to return.

Finally, witches also carefully prepare the place where thecandles are to be burned. This place, usually a small altar, iswhere the witch performs all her everyday rituals. In addition toher ritual candle, she places two white candles on her altar to rep-resent the Goddess and God—well, non-evil witches do this, any-way. Many practitioners also mark either the four Quarters(north, south, east and west) or the five points of a pentacle withcandles.

USING CANDLE MAGICThere are three ways in witches wield candle magic. The

first is to create magical candles which they use to augment theeffects of other spells or rituals (including true rituals) by substi-tuting them for the spell’s common candle material components.The benefits of this are dependant upon the exact color of thecandle substituted (see the Candle Color Properties sidebar laterin this chapter). The second way candle magic is used is byusing magically crafted candles to store completed spells that thecreator can later invoke by burning the candle in question (seethe Candle Magic feat in Chapter 3 for details). The third andlast way candle magic is used is via a host of specific spells thatwitches have created that use candles as their primary focus (seethe end of this chapter for details).

CANDLE COLORSA candle’s color also has significance in the ritual it is used

for, although white candles can be used for any ritual in a pinch(sort of a universal substitute). But, normally, witches carefullyselect their candles to parallel the chosen ritual’s purpose.Abellatra revealed the following to me about a candle’s color sig-nificance, though she cautioned that some variation could existfrom coven to coven.

Black: Arbellatra says that she rarely uses this color, andmany white witches refuse to use it altogether. Black isassociated with negativity, revenge, and retribution, butblack can also be used for learning, focusing will power,protection, and for binding powerful forces or negativethoughts.

Blue: Witches use this color for ritual works aimed ataccomplishing peace, harmony, protection, healing (espe-cially where there are fevers concerned), reuniting lostfriends and relatives, blessing, and neutralizing acts ofmalicious magic. Blue can also calm nerves and bringserenity to an otherwise calamitous house. One Solis witchI met used blue candles to help people break bad habits;she claimed that burning blue candles in the presence ofdrunkards actually helped them mend their ways…or atleast, it assisted their wives in reforming them! So, blue isthe color of healing (usually mental and maladies of theblood), truth, inspiration, higher wisdom, power, psychic

power, protection, understanding, good health, and it repre-sents the feminine aspect of Nature.

Brown: Witches use this color for grounding and stabi-lizing energy, and they also use it for magic spells and gen-eral rituals involving the following: concentration, balance,reading someone’s mind, aiding with the Second Sight,intuition, study, justice, and separation.

Gold or Light Yellow: Gold candles are used in ritualsconcerned with understanding and divination. Gold canalso aid in acquiring wealth or attracting another being’sattention, whether that being be a powerful spirit or a mun-dane.

Green: Witches use green--which, incidentally, isAbellatra’s favorite color— candles for rituals involvingthe following: abundance, fertility, good fortune, generosi-ty, money, wealth, success, renewal, marriage and balance.Abellatra then lost me in some talk about "planetary vibra-tions affecting matters on an earthly level." At any rate,green candles can also aid in healing physical disordersand something Abellatra calls "female problems."

Indigo and Turquoise: These colors aid meditation andhelp neutralize someone else's magic (Arbellatra says sheuses these rather than black whenever possible). They canalso restore balance. Indeed, Arbellatra often has candles ofthese colors burning around her home even when she is notengaged in ritual work.

Magenta: This color has what Arbellatra calls a "highvibrational frequency," meaning that it generates a lot ofenergy. Occasionally, witches use it for rituals that must beperformed quickly. I’m told that some witches employ itfor spiritual healing and exorcism, too.

Orange: This color is all about communication, and italso brings successful results to your endeavors. Abellatrasays that she recommends it to young witches who strugglewith self-expression. Orange can also be used for encour-agement and to promote adaptability or change, especiallyin regard to a person's luck.

Pink: Witches use this color to attract love, passion, orflirtations. Pink can also sweeten bitter people. Pink alsoaids spiritual awakening, spiritual healing, and keepingfriends and family bound together in love.

Purple: A color associated with power, purple enhancesrecognition and victory in contests of will rather than inphysical combat. Witches use purple in divination work-ings and rituals aimed at increasing wisdom. Purple sym-bolizes success in finance as well, and it may be used inrituals to increase psychic powers.

Red: Often associated with physical love and sexualpotency, red also aids in manifesting ambitions on a physi-cal level. Witches also use red to heal muscle injuries orwounds sustained in combat. Red is also good for inspiringand motivating lethargic people. This color symbolizeshealth, energy, strength, sexual virility, and courage, and itrepresents Nature’s masculine principle.

Silver or Light Gray: Silver is used for gentle meditationand the removal of negative influences from one's life.

White: "Here," said Abellatra, "we have the purity ofnaught. The serenity of white brings a clearing effect, like

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sweeping the floor clean with a broom. Whether you areusing it to affect a person or to clear away obstacles, whiteis the best for purging all other colors. White is used forcandle magic spells and general rituals involving purity,spirituality, and higher attainments of life, truth, sincerity,and wholeness. This color cleans, purifies, and absorbs likeno other."

A few witches I spoke to also mentioned that white alsosymbolizes mourning and death.

Yellow: This color represents the sun’s brilliance, andwitches use yellow candles for magic spells and ritualsinvolving intellect, imagination, the power of the mind,creativity, confidence, gentle persuasion, action, attraction,concentration, inspiration, sudden changes, happiness,glory, and overcoming injustices. This color is always usedwhen there has been a long dismal period in a person's life.A yellow candle may also be burned to help remembersomething.

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CANDLE COLOR PROPERTIESWhen used in conjunction with casting a spell, colored candles created via the Candle Magic feat (see Chapter 3) enhance certain

effects of the spell. In the case of a spell that already requires a candle as one of its components, the candle must be of the exact colorrequired if this is also stated (though a white candle is an exception and may be used in place of a candle of any color, no matter what therequirement). For a spell that does not require a candle as one of its components, the witch may add an appropriate candle (see below) tothe spell’s material components in order to benefit from the candle’s properties. Doing so changes the spell’s Casting Time to 1 minutefor every level of the spell (i.e. a 5th-level spell’s Casting Time would be changed to 5 minutes), unless the spell’s original Casting Timeis already longer, in which case it remains unchanged). Only spells that already have at least one material component may be augmentedin this fashion.

The exact properties of the specific colored candles, when used in this way, are listed below:

Black Enhances any spell that causes harm to the target (the caster is treated as +2 levels higher than she really is).Blue Enhances any spell that calms or steadies the target, such as bless, (the caster is treated as +2 levels higher than she

really is).Brown Enhances any spell meant to learn or retain information (i.e. is designated a Divination spell or GM’s discretion)(the

caster is treated as +1 level higher than she really is).Gold Enhances any Divination spell (the caster is treated as +2 levels higher than she really is).Green Enhances any spell whose purpose is to heal (i.e. is designated a Conjuration (Healing) spell)(the caster is treated as

+2 levels higher than she really is).Indigo Enhances any Enchantment spell (the caster is treated as +2 levels higher than she really is).Magenta Enhances spells that deal with spirits (GM’s discretion; the caster is treated as +2 levels higher than she really is);

decreases the Casting Time of spells that already have a candle component by a factor of _. Orange Enhances spells that deal with communication, like comprehend languages (GM’s discretion)(the caster is treated as

+2 levels higher than she really is).Pink Enhances Enchantment spells that concern love, friendship or attraction (the caster is treated as +2 levels higher than

she really is).Purple Enhances Divination spells (the caster is treated as +1 levels higher than she really is) and makes magical scrying eas-

ier (+2 insight bonus to Scry skill checks associated with the spell).Red Increases the strength of any spell that enhances physical attributes, like cat’s grace (GM’s discretion)(the caster is

treated as +2 levels higher than she really is).Silver Enhances any spell that is used to remove the negative effects of another spell, like remove curse (the caster is treat-

ed as +2 levels higher than she really is).Turquoise Enhances spells used to confer additional resistance, like endure elements (the caster is treated as +2 levels higher

than she really is).White General purpose enhancement to spells (the caster is treated as +2 levels higher than she really is); may be substitut-

ed as a component in place of any other candle, no matter what specific color is technically required.Yellow Enhances spells that deal Illusions by increasing or sharpening mental abilities (the caster is treated as +2 levels

higher than she really is).

Note that if more than one candle color might be appropriate to what you wish to attempt, burning several is an option, but addi-tional candles after the primary color will only add +1 to the effect created rather than their full effect were they used alone.

Many of the enhancements provided by these candles are subject to the GM’s interpretations as to exactly which spells meet thecandle color’s requirements. In all such cases the GM’s word is final, though she need not inform the witch if a certain spell qualifies ornot until the witch makes the attempt. The mystical energies witches draw upon can be fickle.

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SIMPLE CANDLE RITUALSArbellatra tells me that witches often use candles to perform

simple acts of intention, instead of performing full-blown rituals.When doing so, the witch meditates briefly before lighting the can-dle to help still her mind and bring her desire into focus. She thenlights the flame, states her intention out loud, in simple, clearterms. She then imagines that she already has what it is she wantsin her life. As the candle slowly burns down, she chants her desire,steadily watching the flame, but not staring intently at it. While shedoes so, she focuses on being receptive and open to her wants.When the candle has burned completely, she saves the remainingwax, and places a piece under her pillow. Sometimes she repeatsthe small ritual before bedtime for as long as a week.

EXTINGUISHING RITUAL CANDLESThere are various opinions--as usual, about one per witch--as

to how, or even if, you ought to extinguish a candle. Most say thatcandles used in spells should be allowed to burn completely. If forsome reason they have to be extinguished, they should never beBLOWN out. This blows the spell away, causing it to dissipate.Some say that pinching the wick is acceptable, while others saythat such an action "pinches out" the spell's intention. Almost everywitch I spoke with said they used a snuffer in such instances.

Kallatra has some interesting observations regarding candlemagic. If a candle will not go out, this is a sign that your spell isworking strongly. Should the spell candle keep snuffing of its ownaccord, perhaps the spell is not meant to be...or you have left thecandle in a draft!

Ritual Candle Magic

The following is a detailed description of the candle spellslisted in Chapter 4.

ANTI-MAGIC CANDLE

AbjurationLevel: Wit 5Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: CandleDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: None

When an anti-magic candle is burned, it has the effect ofending all spells currently in operation within a 15-ft. radius, or ofpreventing the casting of spells or operation of magical deviceswithin that area for a period of 1 hour per witch level of the caster.It cannot end a spell with an ‘instantaneous’ duration, for examplelighting an anti-magic candle will not repair the damage done by alightning bolt or a fireball, though it may prevent such a spell frombeing cast in the first place. In order to use a spell or invoke anykind of magic while in the anti-magic candle’s effect, thecaster/user must make a successful level check opposed by thecandle creator’s standard spell DC (15 + caster’s Wisdom bonus +feat bonuses (if any). If this check succeeds, the spell or magic isinvoked as normal; if it fails, the spell fails and is lost or the magiceffect fails to function while in the candle’s effect. Note that

magic items make their level checks based upon the level of theircreator, not their wielder.

Material Component: A turquoise candle, which must remainalight for the duration of the spell.

CALLING CANDLE

TransmutationLevel: Wit 1Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: Individual known to casterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

By lighting a candle and concentrating on the person to becontacted, the witch creates an impression in the target’s mind thatthey are being thought about and (optionally) that they shouldreturn home or at least get in touch with the witch, though no actu-al communication may be made. It is said that this spell is mosteffective if it is cast while the target is asleep, as they often thendream about the witch or her home.

The target of the spell must be known personally to the witchcasting it, and should be on the same plane of existence.

Material Component: A blue candle, which is burned duringthe casting of the spell.

CANDLE OF RETURN

TransmutationLevel: Wit 1Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: Individual known to casterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell enables an individual who is personally known tothe witch to find his way to the witch’s current location. It is oftenused immediately after a calling candle spell has been cast to alertthe individual that the witch wishes to see him.

The spell grants a +2 circumstance bonus to the individual’sInuit Direction check, or – if they are a spellcaster – gives auto-matic success to a locate creature spell targeting the witch, even ifthey are normally out of range of that spell.

Material Component: A blue candle. Note that a second bluecandle must be used, even if you cast calling candle and candle ofreturn during the same ritual working.

CANDLE OF THE WISE

TransmutationLevel: Wit 2Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: TouchTarget: CandleDuration: 1 hour/levelSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: None

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This spell grants an increase in Wisdom to the recipient ofthe candle on which it is cast. When the candle is lit, the recipi-ent’s Wisdom is increased by 1d4+1, along with the concomitantbenefits to ability, skill checks, and to Will saves. While this maymean that the recipient can cast more than her normal number ofspells per day, the extra spells must be cast before the expirationof the spell or they will be lost. Any spell slot of the new bonuslevel (if any) used by the which during the duration is consideredto be that provided by the new bonus first before using up thewitch’s normal unused slots for the day.

Material Component: A purple candle, which must remainalight for the duration of the spell. When the spell expires, itcrumbles into dust.

DEATH CANDLE

NecromancyLevel: Wit 5Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: CandleDuration: Until candle is burned outSaving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes

This dark spell is only used by black or evil witches. Bylinking the life of the victim to the candle, as the candle dimin-ishes so does the victim's vital force, and when the candle isexhausted, he dies. Once ensorcelled, the candle has to be givento the victim, for it is only effective if he burns it himself. Foreach hour the candle burns, the victim loses one point ofConstitution until he reaches zero and dies (this is treated as tem-porary Constitution loss unless the victim reaches zero and dies).Every time the candle is relit, the Constitution drain starts allover again and it never burns completely down until the victim’sConstitution reaches zero. Extinguishing the candle halts thespell, unless it is relit, when the effect resumes. The candle mustbe given to the victim within one day of this spell being cast.

Material Component: A candle and a hair from the victim'shead, which is incorporated into the candle.

EVERLASTING CANDLE

EvocationLevel: Wit 3Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: TouchTarget: CandleDuration: PermanentSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: None

This spell causes the candle on which it is cast to burn con-tinuously without being consumed. The flame so generated canbe used to light other candles (or anything else flammable), butmay only be extinguished by a deliberate act of the caster or thecandle’s destruction. Candle’s that are being used to store spellscannot be used in conjunction with this spell.

Should any magicks be cast upon the candle that require anopen flame – for example, pyrotechnics – such spells are imme-

diately dispelled without taking effect,though the candle is then extin-guished.

Material Component: Acandle of any color – how-ever, the resulting flame isthe color of the candlerather than a normal‘flame’ color. The can-dle is not consumedunless it is extin-guished ordestroyed, inwhich case itcrumbles todust.

HARMONY CANDLE

EnchantmentLevel: Wit 1Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: Witch's Partner or (touch) on a coupleDuration: SpecialSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell is used by a witch who is already in a relation-ship, to ensure its happy continuation or, if there is strife athome, to help remedy the situation. It may also be cast on behalfof another couple. As the enchanted candle is burned, the witchchants, "The spell is cast, our (their) love will last." The casterthen visualizes romantic moments between the two individualsfor which the spell is cast, and then ends the spell with thewords, "For the good of all, so shall it be." The candle is thenallowed to burn out, and the remains wrapped in a white clothand stored in the room where the couple sleeps.

If successfully cast, both partners are treated as if charmed(as the spell) by one another. If either partner is unwilling for therelationship to continue, he or she is permitted a Will savingthrow, which if successful, negates the spell.

Material Component: A pink candle, into which symbolsrepresenting the partners are carved (or their initials).

LOVE ATTRACTION CANDLE

EnchantmentLevel: Wit 3Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: Chosen individual (if successful, see below)Duration: SpecialSaving Throw: Will limits durationSpell Resistance: Yes

Should the caster wish to attract love, and be warned, thiscould cause unwelcome advances from somebody you are notinterested in, witches sometimes turn to this spell. During the

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preparations for the ritual, three hearts are carved into a red can-dle with a white-handled knife. Rose petals are sprinkled aroundthe ritual space, preferably ones that have been given to the witchas a love-gift, then three candles are charged and light. The casterthen concentrates on the person in whom she is interested as thegold candle is lit (see the material components). Once all threecandles are lit, the caster must make Concentration check andcompare the result to the chart below.

DC 10 or less The first member of the opposite sex metafter this ritual will be attracted to the witch.

DC 15 The intended person will look favorably onthe witch.

DC 20 or above The intended person will pay court to thewitch, for at least 1d6 days, though if he isn'tinterested after this time, his love will fade.

When the ritual is completed, the remains of the candles areburied in the witch's garden.

If the targeted individual is not already romanticallyinclined towards the witch, he is allowed a Will saving throwagainst this spell. If this save succeeds, then the spell only has ashort duration, after which the targeted individual wonders justwhy he behaved like that!

Material Component: Three candles, one red, one silver andone gold along with a basket of rose pedals. The silver candlerepresents the witch, the gold one her intended lover and the redone the love that will flourish between them (male witches maywish to reverse this and use the silver one for their intended andthe gold one to represent themselves).

LOVE IDENTITY CANDLE

DivinationLevel: Wit 1Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: CandleDuration: SpecialSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell is used to enable the witch to visualize her futurepartner. Once charged, a pink candle is lit and the witch gazesinto the flame. She sees either the person she is fated to marry, orsomething about him, in the flame. The caster then makes aRitual check, and depending on the result, she gains a certainamount of information concerning person:

DC 10 Vague image, general impression of the indi-vidual's profession.

DC 15 Clear image, but with no indication of loca-tion; more detail of concerning what he does.

DC 20 Complete and identifiable picture, hint to hisname or location.DC 25 Name or location revealed.

Love Identity Candle may be performed on behalf of anoth-er, who must be present when the spell is cast. However, unlessthey have power (i.e. they are a spellcaster of some kind), onlythe witch is able to see the images in the candle flame, and somust describe them to the querant.

MEMORY CANDLE

EnchantmentLevel: Wit 3Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: TouchTarget: CandleDuration: 5 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: None

This spell enables the recipient of the candle on which it iscast to recall something that she has heard or seen in precisedetail. She may absorb up to five minutes of information (e.g. aconversation), and thereafter retains the memory indefinitely.Recording is a deliberate act, and is begun by lighting the ensor-celled candle, which must be kept alight for the full period overwhich recording takes place. The candle should be extinguishedas soon as recording finishes, and has to be re-lit to enable theinformation to be recalled.

Material Component: A yellow candle. After it has been litand extinguished twice, it crumbles to dust.

PROSPERITY CANDLE

ConjurationLevel: Wit 2Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 hourRange: SpecialTarget: CasterDuration: SpecialSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: None

This spell is often used by a witch who finds herself inneed of money, or who finds it difficult to hang onto the cash shehas. The candle (see the material component) is charged andplaced on an altar beside a piece of lodestone, and completelyburned. The coin and lodestone are then buried under the witch'shearth. After completing the spell, the witch receives a +2 cir-cumstance bonus to any skill checks she is required to make con-cerning any financial dealings she undertakes for the next day.

Material Component: A green candle, a silver coin embed-ded in its base; a piece of loadstone.

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"Familiars are animals often associated with sor-cerers and wizards, but witches have them, too,"Mirelle said to Prince Volunmyr. "Witch familiarshave a natural affinity for magic, and they oftenassist their partner in meditation, spells, and healings.Many of them are excellent guardians. It is even saidthat far in the past a powerful witch called Dalyncalled up an army of familiars, which savedMyrra from oppression.

"Witches soul-link with their familiars,so what one feels, so does the other. Whenknowledgeable outsiders capture witches,they often separate the witch from thefamiliar, as this increases the mentalpressure on both: only those deep inwitchly practices can concentratewithout their animal associate. Thelonger the separation, the weakerboth become. Witch familiars canlive as long as their witch companion,but should the witch die, the famil-iar dies also. If, on the other handa witch’s familiar is killed andshe herself survives thedeath, she sinks into pro-found depression, onefrom which she may neverrecover—this is especiallytrue among neophytes. A powerfulwitch may survive, but only aftertremendous mental struggle, and sheremains weak for some time after-ward. Usually, she claims anotherfamiliar after a ritual performed to set-tle her dead familiar’s soul. The ritualalso allows her former familiar’s spiritto guide her to a new companion."

"They are that strong, even fromthe World Beyond?" asked Volunmyr.

"Yes, Sire. Such animals are a partof a Circle, much as their witch is, and joinin all rituals and power raisings. Occasionally,adept twin familiars or a pair from the same lit-ter are adopted, but only powerful dythanes dothis, such as Amarlyne the Brown, who has two

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Table 6—3: Witch FamiliarsThese special abilities only apply when the witch and familiar remain within a certain distance of each other: 1-mile/4 witch levels.

Familiar SpecialBadger Witch gains a +2 bonus to Wilderness Lore checks while using the Track feat; digging ability*.Bat —Bear Witch gains +2 Strength bonus, scent abilityCat Witch gains a +2 bonus to Move Silently checks Canid Witch gains a +2 bonus to Listen checks; +2 bonus to Wilderness Lore checks while using the Track featCaton Caton are able to learn and cast 0-level and 1st-level spells as if it were a sorcerer 3 levels lower than its witch; automatic detect magic ability

1/dayFox Witch gains a +2 to Gather Information and Hide checks Gargoyle Witch gains a +2 Concentration bonusGryphon Confers ability to fly (as spell) on the witch 1/day, but only if she holds the gryphon’s tail.Hart The hart can recall routes through any outdoor place perfectly, but needs to lead the witch, as they are not able to describe itHawk —Mynik Witch gains a +2 bonus to Hide checksOtter Witch gains a +2 bonus to Swim checks; pseudo-invisibility effect^Owl Has low-light vision; witch gains a +2 bonus on Move Silently checksParrot Screech ability used in battle gives all opponents a -2 circumstance modifier on their attack rolls for one round (usable a number of times per

day equal to the level of the witch to whom the parrot is a familiar)Rat Witch gains a +2 bonus to Fortitude savesRatarq Witch gains a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves and a +2 bonus to Pick Pocket checksRaven Speaks one language; witch gains a +2 bonus to Listen checks; ability to repeat something heard back verbatim (the raven can recall up to

one minute’s speech per level of the witch)Ringur Witch has a +2 bonus to Pick Pocket checksSnake (Tiny) Poisonous biteTiramne Fortune – one die roll may be rerolled per dayToad (Giant) Witch gains a +2 bonus to Jump checks; healing properties# Toad Witch gains +2 to Constitution scoreWeasel Witch gains a +2 bonus on Reflex saves

# Secretions from the toad’s hide may be used in the creation of healing lotions that are particularly efficacious against skin disorders --- providing a+2 circumstance bonus to Heal checks when the lotion is used as part of the treatment of any skin disease or disorder.

* Either the badger or the witch can dig through soil earth at a rate equivalent to their own body length each round. The hole so constructed will notcollapse, but instead forms a tunnel, which they or others may crawl through (assuming such creatures are of the same size or smaller).

^ Otters become ‘invisible’ by fading into immobility. An otter which freezes in this way while in a forested or aquatic region is treated as if invisible toall those scanning the area… until it moves. This only works if the otter is unobserved when it becomes immobile. The witch may also use this ability if inphysical contact with the beaver familiar when it is used.

Table 6—1: Normal Witch Familiars Location Table

(Roll 1d12)1— Badger2 —Bat3— Cat4— Hawk5 —Otter6 —Owl7— Parrot8 —Rat or Ratarq9 —Raven10— Snake11 —Toad12 —Weasel

Table 6—2: Other Witch Familiars Location Table*(roll 1d12; these familiars may only be gained by a witch with theMultiple Familiars feat)

RequiredCreature Slots1 Bear 32 Canid 2 (dog) / 3 (wolf)3 Caton 24 Fox 25 Gargoyle 56 Gryphon 57 Hart 28 Mynik 29 Otter (river) 210 Ratarq (2d4) 1 each11 Ringur 212 Tiramne 4

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ringurs. Combinations of catons and canids are also known.Ratarqs usually do not mix with anything but their own kind, andthey come in numerous family units. Familiars are strong enoughthat most witches are content with one or two.

"The language mentally spoken between familiars is the mostancient of Myrra. It began when the god Op-ta’tosep spoke to hisbeautiful creation after creating the land. The language haschanged over the years, however, and now witches study andsearch for the meanings to forgotten old words, so they can employthe originals in their spells."

Witch familiars

Witch familiars are magical animals that partner themselveswith witches. They are generally more intelligent and powerfulthan the familiars that sorcerers and wizards call, yet, unlike these"normal familiars", though they are companions, they are not nec-essarily servants. Witches often have to bargain and placate theseanimals to maintain their aid—much like they would an NPC—asthese creatures have strong personalities of their own.

As a witch rises in power, her familiars (a witch with theMultiple Familiars feat may have more than one, see Chapter 3)gains access to familiar feats. These feats allow a player to cus-tomize their witch’ familiars, thus no two familiars of the sameanimal type are necessarily the same.

Even though a multiclassed witch may have two or morecharacter classes that allow familiars, only one familiar is permit-ted (unless the witch has the Multiple Familiars feat mentionedabove). Witches combine only their witch class, and any witchprestige classes, for the purposes of determining their familiar’sabilities.

CHOOSING FAMILIARSStarting at 1st level, a witch can call a familiar. Doing so

takes a day and uses up magical materials that cost 100 gp. Afamiliar is a magical, unusually tough, and intelligent version of asmall animal. It is a magical beast, not an animal. A witch’s famil-iar will make its presence known within 1d12 days after thewitch’s call.

The familiar serves as the witch’s soul-bound companion, butwoe to the witch who treats her familiar as a mere servant. Thesecreatures see themselves as equals (if not superiors), so a witchmust be careful to treat them as such, else they may refuse to offertheir continuing aid. These are not your wizard/sorcerer familiars!

Also, unlike sorcerers and wizards, witches do not necessari-ly choose the type of familiar they receive. This selection processis "fated" in the cosmos, though a witch may certainly attempt toattract the type of creature she most desires (see the Attract specialability under the witch class in Chapter 2), or she may activelysearch such a creature out and attempt to woo it to assist her (aDiplomacy check of a least DC 25 would be in order, though gift-ing the creature or performing some service for it could lower thischeck—GM’s option; of course, a GM may just insist the playerroleplay such a request out, deciding the outcome based on theplayer’s performance). No matter the outcome or method used togain a familiar, most witches believe the Goddess preordained theresulting companion to join them; they were destined to crosspaths and have always been soul mates.

The simplest method of obtaining a familiar, of course, is toroll on one of the following two charts. If a witch does not haveaccess to the Multiple Familiars feat, then the she rolls on the firsttable (unless the GM prefers to make such rolls herself). If shedoes have the Multiple Familiars feat, she may possess as manyfamiliars as she has levels (referred to herein as slots). Thus, an8th-level witch with the Multiple Familiars feat could have up to 8slots of familiars. Gaining a larger or more powerful familiardetracts more of the witch’s available slots. In the example above,then, an 8th-level witch may have 8 familiars or less than 8,depending on the slot cost of the familiars who heed her call. If awitch only has one slot remaining, then roll on the first table. Ifshe has two slots remaining and rolls a three-slot familiar, then theclosest two-slot familiar should be given her.

If the familiar dies, or the witch chooses to dismiss it, thewitch must attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC 17). If the savingthrow fails, the witch loses 200 experience points per class level. Asuccessful saving throw reduces the loss to half of that amount.However, a witch's experience point total can never go below zeroas the result of a familiar's demise. A slain or dismissed familiarcannot be replaced for a year and day. Slain familiars can be raisedfrom the dead just as characters can be, but do not lose a level or aConstitution point when this happy event occurs.

FAMILIAR BASICSUse the basic statistics for a creature of its type (note that

some of these creatures are detailed later in this chapter), but makethese changes:

Hit Dice: Treat as the witch's character level (for effectsrelated to Hit Dice). Use the familiar's normal total if it is higher.

Hit Points: One-half the witch's total, rounded down. Attacks: Use the witch's base attack bonus. Use the familiar's

Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to get thefamiliar's melee attack bonus with unarmed attacks. Damageequals that of a normal creature of that type.

Saving Throws: The familiar uses the witch's base savingthrow bonuses if they're better than the familiar's.

Skills: Use the normal skills for an animal of that type or thewitch's, whichever are better.

FAMILIAR ABILITY DESCRIPTIONSAll familiars have special abilities (or impart abilities to their

witches) depending on the level of the witch. The abilities arecumulative.

Natural Armor: This number improves the familiar's AC. Intelligence: The familiar's Intelligence score. Wisdom: The familiar’s Wisdom score. Familiar Feat: Witch familiars gain feats as they rise in

level. See the Familiar Feats section later in this chapter for a listof available feats.

Improved Evasion: If the familiar is subjected to an attackthat normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, thefamiliar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw andhalf damage even if the saving throw fails. Improved evasion is anextraordinary ability.

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Empathic Link: The witch has an empathic link with thefamiliar out to a distance of up to one mile. The witch cannot seethrough the familiar's eyes, but the two of them can communicatetelepathically. This is a supernatural ability.

Because of the empathic link between the familiar and thewitch, the witch has the same connection to an item or place thatthe familiar does. For instance, if her familiar has seen a room, awitch can teleport into that room as if she has seen it too.

Speak with Animals of Its Type: The familiar can communi-cate with animals of approximately the same type as itself (includ-ing dire variants). The communication is limited by theIntelligence of the conversing creatures.

Scry: If the witch is 13th level or higher, she may scry on thefamiliar (as if casting the spell scrying) once per day. This is aspell-like ability that requires no material components or focus.

Table 6—4: Familiar Special Abilities

Witch NaturalClass Lev. Armor Int Wis Special1-2 +1 8 11 Familiar feat x2, improved

evasion, empathic link3-4 +2 9 12 Familiar feat5-6 +3 10 13 Familiar feat7-8 +4 11 14 Speak with animals of its type

9-10 +5 12 1511-12 +6 13 16 Familiar feat13-14 +7 14 17 Scry on familiar15-16 +8 15 1817-18 +9 16 19 Familiar feat19-20 +10 17 20 Familiar feat

Table 6—5: Familiar Feats

Feat PrerequisiteAstral Travel --Combine SpellsImproved Invisibility Invisibility featInvisibility --Mimicry --Predict Weather Wis 12+Psionics Int 12+; Wis 12+Record Information Int 12+Scent Magic --Share Spells --Speak with Witch --Spellcasting Int 12+; Wis 12+Spell Resistance --Spell Storing --Superior Memory Int 13+Touch --Track --

ASTRAL TRAVEL [General]The familiar can travel to the astral plane.Prerequisite: None.Benefit: The familiar can travel to the astral plane once per

day, as per the astral projection spell (see the PHB for details),though it may not take any other creatures (even its witch) alongwith it. This ability is treated as a spell cast by a 18th-level sorcerer.

COMBINE [General]The familiar can add its power to a witch combined ritual.Prerequisite: Spellcasting ability.Benefit: The familiar adds power to any ritual it participates

in at a level of one-half of its witch’s power level (though its witchmust be the witch directing the ritual for this to take effect). Notethat the familiar counts as one separate witch for all other purposesassociated with the ritual (see Chapter 4 for details on CombingWitch magic and True Rituals).

IMPROVED INVISIBILITY [General]The familiar has an inherent ability to become invisible, and

remain so under almost any circumstances.Prerequisite: Invisibility feat.Benefit: The familiar’s ability to become invisible improves

to be as per the improved invisibility spell and is usable up to2/day (see the PHB for details). This ability is treated as a spellcast by a sorcerer equal in level to the familiar’s witch (even if thisis technically too low to ordinarily cast the spell).

INVISIBILITY [General]The familiar has the ability to become invisible.Prerequisite: None.Benefit: The familiar can become invisible as per the invisi-

ble spell up to 2/day (see the PHB for details). This ability is treat-ed as a spell cast by a sorcerer equal in level to the familiar’s witch(even if this is technically too low to ordinarily cast the spell).

MIMICRY [General]The familiar can mimic any sound it hears.Prerequisite: None.Benefit: After listening to a sound for at least 1 minute, the

familiar can accurately reproduce it any time it pleases.

PREDICT WEATHER [General]The familiar can predict the weather.Prerequisite: Wis 12+.Benefit: The familiar can accurately predict the weather for

the next 2 hour per its witch’s level.

PSIONICS [General]The familiar has several psionic powers.Prerequisite: Int 12+; Wis 12+.Benefit: The familiar must choose a discipline and may then

use each of the 0-level powers of that discipline up to 3/day.

RECORD INFORMATION [General]The familiar can perfectly recall something heard or seen.Prerequisite: Int 12+.Benefit: The familiar is able to recall something that it has

heard or seen in precise detail. It may absorb up to five minutes of

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information (e.g. a conversation), and thereafter retains the mem-ory until it is repeated to the witch. Recording is a deliberate act,and attempting to record more than five minutes’ worth results inearlier material being ‘over-recorded.’

SCENT MAGIC [General]The familiar can detect magic with its sense of smell.Prerequisite: None.Benefit: The familiar is able to detect the use of magic (but

not its nature) within a 60-ft. radius as per the detect magic spellat will. This ability is treated as a spell cast by a sorcerer equalin level to the familiar’s witch (even if this is technically too lowto ordinarily cast the spell).

SHARE SPELLS [General]Any spell the witch can cast can be cast on the familiar as

well.Prerequisite: None.Benefit: At the witch's option, she may have any spell she

casts on herself also affect a familiar. The familiar must be within5 feet at the time. If the spell has a duration other than instanta-neous, the spell stops affecting the familiar if it moves fartherthan 5 feet away. The spell's effect will not be restored even ifthe familiar returns to the witch before the duration would other-wise have ended. Additionally, the witch may cast a spell with atarget of "You" on a familiar (as a Touch range spell) instead.The witch and familiar can share spells even if the spells normal-ly do not affect creatures of the familiar's type.

SPEAK WITH WITCH [General]The familiar can speak with its witch.Prerequisite: None.Benefit: The familiar and witch can communicate verbally

as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do notunderstand the communication without magical help.

SPELLCASTING [General]The familiar can cast spells. Prerequisite: Int 12+, Wis 12+.Benefit: The familiar can cast detect magic 3/day, ghost

sound 3/day, know direction 3/day, detect undead 1/day, invisibil-ity to animals 1/day and pass without trace 1/day. These spellsare spell-like abilities are treated as spells cast by a sorcererequal in level to the familiar’s witch.

SPELL STORING [General]The familiar can store one spell for its witch.Prerequisite: Spellcasting ability.Benefit: The familiar may store one spell on the witch’s

behalf. The spell must be cast onto the familiar, but the intent tostore it is declared rather than having the spell take its normaleffect. The spell may be called upon by the witch at will, for upto 1 day per level of the witch after it has been stored. (A familiarwith the Psionics feat may store a psionic power rather than aspell.)

SPELL RESISTANCE [General]The familiar gains spell resistance.Prerequisite: Witch must be 11th level or higher.Benefit: The familiar gains spell resistance equal to the

witch's level + 5.

SUPERIOR MEMORY [General]The familiar can remember information for a witch.Prerequisite: Int 13+.Benefit: The familiar can carry information supplied to it by

the witch, and recall it at will. Information transfer is a deliberateact, and requires 5 minutes for the amount of information thatwould fill one page of a standard book. This includes the abilityto store the witch’s Book of Shadows in its memory. Once inmemory, the information remains there and can be related by thefamiliar to the witch at any time (assuming they have a way tocommunicate).

TOUCH [General]The familiar can deliver touch spells for the witch.Prerequisite: Witch must be 3rd level or higher.Benefit: The familiar can deliver touch spells for the witch.

When the witch casts a touch spell, the familiar can be designat-ed as the "toucher." (The witch and the familiar have to be incontact at the time of casting.) The familiar can then deliver thetouch spell just as the witch could. If the witch casts anotherspell before the familiar delivers the touch spell to a target, thetouch spell dissipates and is lost.

TRACK [General]The familiar can follow the trails of creatures and charac-

ters across most types of terrain.Prerequisite: None.Benefit: The familiar can track as per the Track feat (see

PHB for details).Special: Note that a familiar that also has the Scent ability

receives a +2 synergy bonus when using this ability rather thantrying to simply track via scent alone.

FAMILIAR STATISTICSAll Familiars gain an Intelligence bonus based on the

Witch’s level as given on the Familiars Special Abilities Table(see Table 6—4 above). The base statistics of many of these crea-tures can be found in the MM, so that tome should be consultedfor full details. Familiars differ from the MM description asnoted below.

Mirelle’s Notes: The following is a list of most of the ani-mals employed throughout Myrra as familiars. This is not anexhaustive gathering--many more types of familiars exist.

BADGERS—Badgers are large, lumbering, coarse-coatedanimals with huge claws on four wide, padded feet. They havebushy tails and narrow, triangular faces and small ears. They alsohave broad, black noses, and they rely heavily on their acutesense of smell. Their mouths are relatively small and full of verysharp teeth. Their eyes are black and intense and their bodies arewide rather than narrow. They have short, muscular legs, which

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end in deadly claws. Stripes of yellowish-cream color, whichstart in narrow bands at their shoulders and end just before theirtails, mark the edge of their brown-black coats.

Badgers are strong physically, and know it--they swipeother animals out of the way without concern, or run them downwhen they are hungry. Badgers can lope for hours without flag-ging, and they are superb hunters, tracking by both scent andsight.

Badgers are renowned for their bad tempers and argumenta-tive natures. Like weasels, they mutter constantly about every-thing they see, hear, and feel. When confronted with a threat,their first reaction is to stand still, bare their teeth, and growl:badgers do not retreat—they fight to the death, no matter howlarge the opponent, which is why their witches go out of theirway to separate them from conflict. They have little or no senseof humor, and they hate bears. A strong sense of curiosity drivesthem, and they are very protective of their witches, and oftenjealous of outside attentions. Badgers bring their partners atremendous energy, drive, and sense of purpose.

Witches must petition a badger to become their familiar,working out extensive bargains. As badgers make excellentguardians, vitkes often seek them out to help protect their coven.More often than not, however, badgers join forces with Solis, asthe creatures admire the Solis’ sense of adventure and they preferto travel. Their argumentative natures also make them lessdesired as coven members, though gray witches and vitkes canoften soothe their natures. Should a timid witch gain one as afamiliar, her personality soon changes to reflect her badger’s.Tanley of Caradour was just such a witch. When a badgerstepped into her life, Tanley changed from a self-effacing, stu-dious young woman into a formidable vitke. Too, there are sto-ries of strong, stubborn witches who gained badger familiars.Some of them went on to do great things; others, such asBanalay--later called Banalay the Bloodletter--became too war-like. A gray witch later silenced Banalay’s reign of terror.

Some badgers have been known to have the ability to travelto the astral plane, and some badgers are even prone to psionicabilities. Also, some badgers have been known to have the abilityto combine their magic with their witches and Circle.

A badger’s base statistics are unchanged from those pre-sented in the MM.

BEARS—Bears are great lumbering beasts with hulkingbodies. Their necks are short and bend forward from the shoul-ders; when they walk, their heads are often lower than theirbacks. They have very short tails, which are said to be shortbecause a great door sheared the first bear’s bushy tail off whenit tried to escape with honey it had stolen from Heaven. Bearshave four muscular legs that end in huge paws with long, thickclaws, which they use for digging as well as defense. They haverounded ears set high on their relatively flat heads. Their eyes areblack, but not acute. They rely much more on their keen sense ofsmell than their sight. Bears have sharp teeth that are perfect forrending fresh meat. Their coarse coats are usually white, golden,brown, or black.

Some bears have psychic abilities, but most do not. Thereseems to be no pattern or coherent reason for this. Bears withmagical leanings have a vague sense of unease until they meet

their witches: this makes them wander, sometimes for long dis-tances. Once they find their partners, bears become their staunchprotectors. A witch’s strength immediately increases if she gainsa bear familiar. Although these animals can be argumentative,suspicious, and bad tempered, a thoughtful, focused witch canbridle these traits. Although most bears normally hibernate duringthe winter months, bear familiars do not.

Bears’ attitudes toward life are opposite than those ofotters; bears take life as it comes—unless threatened. Whenthreatened, bears exhibit their true strength, barring access bothphysically and psychically to any encroachers. Bears never giveup; they fight to the death, and sometimes they continue to fighteven after death. One story is still told about Gerand of Karasathand his familiar Kogarr. When Gerand was killed during a con-frontation between covens, Kogarr died also. But the bear’s spir-it, strong as it was, continued to seek out the witch who hadkilled him and his witch partner, and he eventually psychicallytook her life.

A bear familiar’s base statistics are always those of a blackbear (as presented in the MM), no matter what color the crea-ture’s coat is.

CANIDS—Four-legged, furred creatures of diverse looks,colors, and sizes, usually having a tail and dull, non-retractableclaws on their padded paws. More docile than catons, canids bindto their soul-linked witches with open adoration. Also, theirmouths are much wetter than a catons’ (see below), so their affec-tion is often damper. Canids are earthy animals; they enjoy agood dig in the soil or a roll in anything redolent. Many love toplay, and they can be trained through games. They also makeexcellent guardians, protecting their witches to the utmost of theirability. Their hearing is acute, even the ones with flapped ears,and canids have excellent noses: they can often "scent" magic,trace another being over land or water, and predict storms andearthquakes.

Once given a project, canids focus narrowly and steadily onit, and they stay riveted to the task until their witches call themoff. Canids can recognize a person years after having scentingthem only once. In general, canids react to situations a bit slowerthan catons, but their thoroughness makes them invaluable allies.Unwavering in the face of any enemy, they bristle, show theirteeth, flatten their ears, and growl from the chest when preparingto fight.

Some canids can travel to the astral plane, though most pre-fer to go there only when accompanied by their witch. Thereexists a famous story about a large black and gold shorthairfamiliar named Tuck, however, who traveled alone to the astralplane to rescue his witch companion, dythane Marbeth Tremlay.

The canid family includes that most elusive and eleganthunter, the wolf. Silver-furred and white hued individuals areknown as moonwolfs. Charcoal and black-coated individuals arecalled darkwolves, and rusty-red specimens redwolves. Thesmaller honey and cream variety of the Arrani Desert are calledgoldenwolves. A witch who obtains a wolf canid familiar is theenvy of her peers, as the wolf’s heart is not easily diverted fromthe pack, which forms its family; it is a rare soul that venturesforth to seek witchly companionship. Wolves are very strong,both physically and psychically. Some say their congregational

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howlings are covens raising power. Powerful witches can tap intothat, using the wolves’ energy to enhance their own. Whenwolves fix another being (humanoid or animal) with their stare,they can read that being’s soul. Woe to the creature who does notmeasure up or quails before those penetrating eyes. Their quiet,intense love and approbation, however, is believed to be a god-dess-gift.

Most canids are treated as dogs (see MM), but wolf-formcanids are treated as wolves (see MM). Canids are exceptionallyintelligent, gaining a +1 Intelligence score beyond what theywould normally have as a witch’s familiar.

CATONS— Four-legged creatures normally possessed oflong tails and padded paws that sheathe wicked claws. They haverelatively small heads, which house great cunning, and forward-pointing ears, which signal their mood. These animals can besmall to quite large, and they have fur that can vary from onecaton to the next in terms of color, length, and thickness. Mostare accomplished leapers, and some can even swim. They havethe remarkable ability to purr, which is exclusive to their kind,and this soothing, restful sound often assists witches during med-itation.

Catons are subtle thinkers, and their playful humor is oftensomewhat sarcastic. In addition, some catons are psychic. Catonsmake excellent familiars, although their innate curiosity cansometimes lead a witch along unexpected paths. Very often thesepaths, though seemingly wrong, often prove to be the most bene-ficial—though not always, of course. These animals are highlyaffectionate, and most are very protective. One cannot own acaton--witches say you must learn to live with them, achievingbalance, and a witch must earn the caton’s respect before it evendeigns to accept a partner. Once the witch establishes trust withthe caton, the animal remains dedicated to that witch for life, andits heart never wavers.

Some mother catons insist on choosing a kit for familiar-seeking witches. Tales exist of solo catons searching out solitarywitches and "adopting" them--to that witch’s great surprise.These creatures are particularly adept at understanding theprocess and degree of magic, which is why witches seek theircompany. Some catons can cast low-level spells, and some caneven walk the astral plane. Catons are also adept at predictingearth-based violence, such as storms and volcanic eruptions.Witches often use the quick, agile catons’ intensity and huntingprowess against her enemies. Catons’ hearts are large, and theirmemories are long; their retribution is often patient—cross awitch’s caton familiar at your own peril.

Treat as a cat (see MM). The caton has very alert senses,giving it a +8 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks. Catons areexceptionally intelligent, gaining a +1 Intelligence score beyondwhat they would normally have as a witch’s familiar.

FOXES—Some say foxes are a mix between catons andcanids, acting very much like the former, while appearing morelike the latter. They have long legs, extended, bushy tails, medi-um-length, coarse coats, and narrow, pointed heads surmountedby erect ears. In color, they range from pale golden orange toglossy dark red and reddish-black (very rare). Foxes often seemsuspicious of new situations, but once measured and accepted,

they leap in with joy and curiosity. They have a sly side, and theyoften play mental games with their witches. Naturally mischie-vous, foxes often make trying companions. Unlike the canids andcatons, foxes like to wander from their witch’s side, preferringinstead to roam a bit on their own.

Foxes are good at gathering information, and they can sensesudden changes in the earth, which makes them excellent at pre-dicting natural upheavals. These animals are fleet, and they maketrustworthy messengers. Some foxes can even become invisibleat will.

Treat as dog (see MM), but its bite is more vicious (1d6damage), and it has racial skill bonuses of Climb +7, Hide +10and Spot +5.

GARGOYLES—Gargoyles include any number of fairlylarge, odd-looking creatures with wings. Mundanes often consid-er them demons because their appearances are so frightening.Although there are various kinds of gargoyles, most normallyresemble Myrrans, except they have spikes on their spines, hornsatop their heads, tails with mace-like appendages on the ends,and huge fangs. Their stone-like skin appears to be made fromgranite or marble, but is actually leathery and slightly warm tothe touch. No one knows exactly where the first gargoyle camefrom. They are highly magical, and may have been created frommagic. Not even their Myrran witch partners know their trueessence (or they have sworn not to reveal it). They have ice-col-ored eyes or bottomless black ones, and they seem to noticeeverything and nothing all at once.

Gargoyles are very patient, and they can move so slowlythat they appear not to be moving at all. This ability, coupledwith their skin coloration, often makes onlookers believe they aremere statues, not life forms.

Some gargoyles can travel to the astral plane.A gargoyle’s base statistics are unchanged from those pre-

sented in the MM.

GIANT TOADS—Possibly the least attractive familiars,giant toads are gray-brown creatures with bumpy skin. Contraryto popular belief, their skin is not slimy. Toads live against bare,moist ground that is cool to the touch. They consume insects andnearly anything else smaller than themselves. Giant toads areabout the size of a large dinner plate, and they have four legsending in partially webbed toes. Their back legs are easily threetimes as long as their front legs, and they remain bent beneaththeir body. These long, powerful legs allow the toad to leaptremendous distances.

Toads have sleepy black and gold eyes atop their heads, andthey have snouts that end in a round point above their mouths,which are often as large as the toads themselves. Unlike frogs,toads use their surprisingly small voice, which sounds like across between a small chirping bird and a cricket, sparingly. Thesound they make can travel for some distance, though.

Toads have a sense of humor, and they enjoy playing practi-cal jokes on their witches and other animals and familiars.Reasonable creatures, they often mediate squabbles—some ofwhich are the results of their own jokes. Nonetheless, othersregard them as creatures of good judgment because of their abili-ties to listen, consider, and offer equitable solutions. Their pres-

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ence in a Circle guarantees minimal disagreements, so dythanesoften seek witch-toad pairs for their covens. Toads like their free-dom, too, so they often disappear for hours or days, returningwithout explanation. Toad familiars prefer to be bargained for,and after hearing some witches speak of the grueling ordeal—lengthy bargaining sessions that can go on for days before anagreement is met—it is amazing that any witch would requestsuch an animal partner for her familiar.

Some giant toads can walk the astral plane.A normal toad’s base statistics are unchanged from those

presented in the MM.

GIANT TOAD

Small AnimalHit Dice: 1d8+2 (hp 6)Initiative: +1 (Dex)Speed: 20 ft., hop 30 ft.AC: 14 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)Attacks: Bite +3 meleeDamage: Bite 1d4Face/Reach: 2 _ ft. by 2 _ ft./0 ft.Special Attacks: Hop-by attackSpecial Qualities: Healing secretionsSaves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 4Skills: Climb +2, Hide +11*, Jump +12, Listen +2, Spot +2Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite)____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Aquatic, Marsh.Organization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: _ Treasure: StandardAlignment: Always neutralAdvancement: 3-5 HD

COMBATGiant toads behave much like their smaller, more mundane

cousins, except that, due to their larger size, they prey upon larg-er creatures (mostly rodents, small mammals, etc.).

Hop-by Attack (Ex): This ability functions just like FlybyAttack feat (see the MM) except that it works during mid-hop.

Healing Secretions (Ex): Secretions from the toad’s hidemay be used in the creation of healing lotions that are particular-ly efficacious against skin disorders --- providing a +2 circum-stance bonus to Heal checks when the lotion is used as part of thetreatment of any skin disease or disorder.

Skills: * Giant toads gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Hidechecks when in wet, marshy surroundings due to their dark col-oration and rough skin; this in not factored in.

GRYPHONS—Gryphons are creatures that look like smalllions with an eagle’s head and wings. They have four large pawswith retractable claws, and short-furred tails, which are longerthan their bodies and end in tufts of hair. Their coats are shortand coarse, and they are often sand, buff, or occasionally goldenbrown in hue, as they live mostly in the deserts. They have

bright, analytical eyes and large, hooked beaks. Gryphons canemit high, piercing, three-noted calls.

Sometimes gryphons hop like birds; other times theypounce like catons—it all depends on their mood and the preythat they are stalking. Despite their odd-looking positioning oftheir wings, which are attached behind their shoulder blades, theycan also fly.

Gryphons tend to be haughty and stubborn, but they alsoenjoy playing jokes. They’re known for killing prey outright oneday, and playing it to death the next. They do not get along withbears, badgers, or weasels, but surprisingly some play interestinggames with otters, eagle owls, and catons. In general, gryphonsmake interesting familiars, though their dual eagle-lion naturesmake it difficult for them to make decisions. Witches withgryphons as familiars must be strong enough to make decisionsfor the stubborn creatures, else they are of little assistance; theyspend all their time in thought, trying to decide these dilemmasfor themselves. They are very loyal, however, though in a differ-ent sort of way. They do require time alone, and they have evenbeen known to disappear in the midst of performing a ritual if itsuits them to leave at that time. They have their own timing, sowitches usually adapt to their idiosyncrasies.

GRYPHON

Large Magical BeastHit Dice: 5d10+5 (32 hp)Initiative: +3 (Dex)Speed: 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)AC: 15 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, -1 size)Attacks: 2 claws +8 melee, bite +3 meleeDamage: Claw 1d8+4, bite 2d6+2Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Rake 1d8+2Special Qualities: ScentSaves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +1Abilities: Str 19, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 11Skills: Hide +7, Listen +7, Spot +7Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Cold and temperate, hills or plainsOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 4Treasure: StandardAlignment: Chaotic, usually good or neutralAdvancement: 6-8 HD (Huge)

Looking like a bizarre cross between a lion and an eagle, agryphon is a striking beast. It does not look as if its wings shouldbear it in flight, though they obviously do. Indeed, many scholarsbelieve that it is magic rather than its wings that hold it aloft.

COMBATGryphons prefer to attack using their claws, batting oppo-

nents about, sometimes in an almost playful manner.Rake (Ex): A gryphon that strikes an opponent with both

claws can make two rake attacks (+8 melee) with its hind legs for1d8+2 slashing damage.

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HARTS—Stately members of the deer family, harts havemedium dun to dark red-brown coats of flat-lying, coarse hair ontheir stocky bodies, four long, narrow legs set on hardened toes,and short tails of lighter hue on their hindquarters. Despite theirnarrow legs, harts can bound over almost any obstacle with ease,and their stamina is prodigious.

Harts have triangular heads that are wide above the ears andnarrow at the nose. They have wide dark brown to black eyes thatare set on either side of their head. Male harts have magnificentantlers (or racks), while females have smaller, spiky versions.Males must be wary of places with large, dense foliage, as suchgrowth can entangle their racks. Witches who gain them as famil-iars often bespell the animals so this no longer bothers them.

The wapiti, sometimes called elk, belong to the hart family,but they come from the great Janar forests at the far southern endof Myrra. They are larger, but they share the same body style andthe same attributes as harts. Males have a rough mane of darkerhair that cascades down the back of their heads and necks, endingat their chests. Their racks become truly impressive with age.

Harts are normally rather peaceful herd animals, and witch-es with hart familiars must guard themselves against their panicexplosions when their harts encounter uncertain or threateningsituations. By nature, harts are the peacemakers, and they oftenintercede in arguments between the more aggressive familiars,like ringurs and catons, with whom they might share their Circle.Their friendship always bestows good luck.

Harts have no magical ability themselves, but they are,instead, vessels capable of holding magic for short periods oftime. They can also observe situations and their surroundings andremember every detail. Some archons have trained their hartfamiliars to carry their Books of Shadows in their vast memoriesby performing a Book of Shadow ritual and staring into theireyes, mentally setting down the details; Rumors say the greatwitch Thyfaldel of the Plains trained her hart to do so. Someharts can also travel the astral plane.

HART

Medium-Size AnimalHit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)Initiative: +1 (Dex)Speed: 40 ft.AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)Attacks: Gore +2 meleeDamage: Antlers 1d6+1Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attack: ChargeSpecial Qualities: ScentSaves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +0Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 5Skills: Balance +7, Hide +4, Jump +8.____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Temperate plainsOrganization: Solitary or herd (20+ animals)Challenge Rating: 1Treasure: NoneAlignment: LawfulAdvancement: 3-5 HD (Medium)

A hart is a deer-like creature with short russet coat andmagnificent antlers, the male being endowed with a more spec-tacular display than that of the female. Despite spindly-seeminglegs, harts are very agile animals and can move swiftly overrough and uneven terrain.

COMBATCharge (Ex): When a hart charges, it does double damage

with its antlers; once it has committed itself to a charge, however,it loses its normal +2 attack bonus as it is unable to deviate fromits path even if the target dodges out of the way.

MYNIKS—Myniks are semi-transparent animals with iri-descent scales, apparently a cross between snakes and largesnails. They are not slimy, except during mating season. The"foot" they ride on is larger than a snake’s, and they can use it asa gliding mechanism when they want to get from one tree toanother quickly. Their eyes are opalescent, with black verticalslits. They have wide, triangular heads; short, blunt noses; andsmall teeth, meant for biting and gripping prey. When they arealarmed or interested, a sail, a plume of webbing between tinybones, rises from behind their heads. This plume runs from yel-low (fear) to a glossy green-blue (contentment). These serpentsare mostly arboreal, preferring the trees known as spena andeldurr. Myniks can camouflage themselves against bark orfoliage, which makes them very difficult to find. Only the agedor the sick are usually visible to normal eyesight, as are the veryyoung, who have not yet mastered their camouflaging abilities.

It is said that a witch searching for a familiar will be led toa certain mynik should that variety of creature be suitable for her,and she will always be able to see it. Myniks are, however, verychoosy regarding their choice of partners, as the bonds betweenthe two run very deep. It is no wonder that the ancient Myrransymbol for abiding trust and affection is a mynik.

These serpents are extremely magical, and some can travelto the astral plane. Myniks "sing" when they are content, and thissong sounds similar to a caton’s purr, but it has an actual melody.Some say the legends of the singing trees in the great JanarForest are actually a group of Myniks in song, especially sincethe serpent creatures habitually reside there.

MYNIK

Medium-Size Magical BeastHit Dice: 3d10+3 (19 hp)Initiative: +3 (Dex)Speed: 20 ft., climb 30 ft.AC: 15 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)Attacks: Bite +6 meleeSpecial Qualities: ScentDamage: Bite 1d6+3Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 8Skills: Balance +10, Climb +10, Listen +4,

Perform (sing) +6, Spot +4Feats: Alertness, Dodge

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____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Temperate or warm forestsOrganization: Groups of 2-5 individualsChallenge Rating: 2Treasure: Magical items onlyAlignment: Normally goodAdvancement: 3-5 HD (Medium)

A mynik looks like a wide, fleshy, short snake, with a glis-tening iridescent hide. It has an erectile crest, which it raises whenexcited – some scholars speculate that it is used as part of acourtship ritual. Myniks are equally at home on the ground or intrees, and they are noted for their singing.

OTTERS—These creatures have the touch of the moon aboutthem, as the Goddess Ga-sta is said to favor them. Long, narrow,and weasel-like, otters have very short legs that end in webbed feetwith small claws. Their long bodies are quite flexible and compact.They have strong, tapering tails almost as long as their bodies thatthey use to propel themselves through lakes and rivers. Their densecoats lie close to their bodies, and are generally medium shades ofbrown in color. Otters’ high-domed heads are set on short necks,with tiny ears to both sides. Their eyes are sharp, wide, and black.They have relatively flat noses with coarse, pale bristling whiskersbeneath. Their mouths are full of small sharp teeth.

Otters are very social creatures, and like weasels, they mutterconstantly about everything. When entering a strange situation, theyraise their heads, instantly assess the place’s aura, and plunge in ifthey deem the area unthreatening. These animals possess tremendousenergy and verve for life. Their playfulness blankets a positive prac-ticality, which is an excellent lesson to all who observe them. Ottersdo not let anyone or anything interfere with their way of life. Theymaintain a strong focus on their tasks, but they do not let that focusblind them. They are also fearless.

River otters are very rare. They are about four times largerthan their cousins, and have longer necks. Most have patches ofcream, amber, and various browns all over the main part of theirbodies, which help them flit almost invisibly through shallow water.These creatures are often tremendously powerful psychics, but rarelyseek out witch companions, except in times of trouble, wherebybanded river otters elect one of their kind to find a witch to helpthem; in return for the help, the witch gains the otter as her familiar.One such exceptional witch was Shannilar of Dumorthene, whoalong with her river otter, saved Myrra a hundred years ago from aseries of catastrophic storms.

Legends say that the Goddess made otters from the spirits ofMyrra’s first thirty witches. Because of this, these creatures are oftengifted with magical abilities or psionic powers. Some otters canremain so still for short periods of time that they become virtuallyinvisible while in plain sight. And some can work spell magic viashort couplets loaded with meaning. Adoption by a mated pair ofotters is rare and considered great luck; a tyro who manages to gainsuch a pair can climb to archon status fairly quickly. Celuna theGray did just that after finding her pair. Otters are normallyamenable to second familiars entering the relationship if both part-ners agree: catons, canids, owls, giant toads, harts, and occasionallybears have allied with the initial witch-otter combination. Because oftheir affinity with the earth, otters make ideal familiars for brownwitches.

It is not wise to vex an otter. One story concerning a blackwitch named Evun and his toad familiar, Tresor, shows why. Evunhad begun using his spells to divert a certain river that Tresor’s folk,the river otters, favored. Tresor warned his witch to return things tonormal and gift the otters for the trouble he had caused them. Evun,ignoring Tresor, persisted, hoping to gain the rich area beyond theriver for a nearby lord, and hence a piece for himself. Sometimethereafter, Evun and Tresor vanished, never to be seen again. Mostwitches believe that Tresor took them both from this plane ratherthan allow Evun to continue harming the otter folk.

OTTER / RIVER OTTER

Tiny Animal / Medium-sized AnimalHit Dice: d8 (2 hp) / 2d8 (9 hp)Initiative: +2 (Dex) / +3 (Dex)Speed: 20 ft., swim 20 ft. / 30 ft., swim 30 ft.AC: 15 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size) /

16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural)Attacks: Bite -2 melee / Bite +0 meleeDamage: Bite 1d3-4 / Bite 1d6-2Face/Reach: 2 _ ft. by 2 _ ft./0 ft. / 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1 / Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +2Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7 /

Str 7, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2,Wis 14, Cha 8Skills: Balance +9, Hide +13*, Swim +15 /

Balance +11, Hide +10*, Swim +14Feats: Skill Focus (Hide) / Skill Focus (Hide)____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Aquatic, Marsh / Rivers & MarshesOrganization: Solitary or pack (3-7) /

Solitary or pack (5-10)Challenge Rating: _ / 1Treasure: Standard / StandardAlignment: Any / Often Lawful GoodAdvancement: 1-3 HD (Small) / 3-6 HD (Medium)

An otter is an aquatic mammal. It has a flattish head with pro-truding eyes and whiskers, and an elongated body ending in a shorttail that is used as a rudder when swimming. A typical otter pose,when curious about something or someone, is to rear up with thefront paws under the chin and say, "Eeep, eeep."

Skills: Otters receive a +4 racial bonus to Swim and Hidechecks. *In aquatic conditions or areas or swampy group, an otter’sHide bonus improves to +8.

OWLS—Although not as common as raven and parrot famil-iars, owls often choose to partner with witches—usually brownwitches. It can be startling to see one of these large birds land on awitch’s arm or shoulder; the ones that are too big and heavy to do sogenerally keep close to their witch by perching on whatever branch-es or furniture can support them.

Witches favor certain kinds of owls, particularly the horned,the great gray, and the huge eagle owl. All owls have feathered feet,scythe-like claws, and wicked, small beaks that easily tear apartmeat. Their large eyes take in their surroundings with incredible pre-cision, while their quick minds estimate objects’ distances and thespeeds of any beings moving around them. Tufts of feathers risefrom horned owls’ heads, looking a bit like horns, thus giving them

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their name. Great gray owls, barred in gray and black, have smoothcrests and dish-shaped faces, which allow even the tiniest sound toreach their ears. The eagle owls have massive wingspans, as wide asa witch’s outstretched arms, with butter-colored feathers patternedwith gray and black; eagle owls are the only owls that ordinarily flyin the daytime.

Owls can turn their heads in nearly a full circle and they fly sosilently that their unexpected appearance can shock others. Owlschoose their witches, and it is an honor to receive one’s service. Asowls mate for life, witches normally have familiars of the oppositesex, with the owl treating the witch as its platonic mate. Witches withowl familiars are often celibate because of this, as their owl familiarsare very protective of their "mates." If a witch wants a lover, too, shedoes best to court a married pair of owls as familiars. The historianRanagar says that Yvien the Brown had such a mated pair of owls, asthe woman enjoyed her dalliances too much to court only one.

Some owls can assist witches during power-raising rituals, andsome owls can travel to the astral plane. Owls are very dutiful, tak-ing their responsibilities seriously at all times. They keep theirthoughts to themselves until necessary; when they do state theirviews, they do so in a quiet but powerful voice that rings the mind.Owls make extraordinarily powerful magical allies, and witches con-sider their affection a goddess-gift.

An owl’s base statistics are unchanged from those presented inthe MM.

PARROTS—Slightly smaller than ravens, these birds come inbright greens, grays, and whites, commonly having patches of red,blue, yellow, and peach, depending on their family. They have nakedlegs, claws on each toe, and large, powerful bills that they can use asweapons and tools. Although parrots can fly, they can only stay inthe air for short periods of time, so their range is limited. Likeravens, a witch must occasionally coerce these birds into performingtheir duties as familiars. Although they do not give affection easily,they can be quite charming when they are in a playful mood.

Parrots attack enemies with their beaks, and their shrill criescan also unsettle these enemies. Their abilities to mimic are pro-found, and they are often perfected over very long life spans. Thesebirds delight in gathering knowledge, sometimes startling theirwitches with their abilities to learn things. These mimic and knowl-edge abilities often make parrots spellcasters, and they sometimesassist in working magic with their witches.

PARROT

Tiny AnimalHit Dice: _ d8 (2 hp) Initiative: +2 (Dex)Speed: 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size)Attacks: Bite +4 meleeDamage: Bite 1d3Face/Reach: 2 _ ft. by 2 _ ft./0 ft.Special Attacks: Powerful beak Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1.Abilities: Str 2, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 7.Skills: Climb +10, Listen +8, Spot +6. Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite)

____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Warm, forestOrganization: Solitary, pairs or flocks (anything up to

several hundred)Challenge Rating: _ Treasure: NoneAlignment: AnyAdvancement: 1 (tiny), 2 HD (Small)

A parrot is a brilliantly-colored bird with a short or long tailand a large, powerful beak. Typical colors are red and gray orgreen and yellow, although other colors – such as a purplish-bluewith yellow around the eyes or even all white – are known to exist.

COMBATParrots are not normally aggressive, though they do not hesi-

tate to defend themselves using their powerful beaks. Powerful Beak (Ex): Despite their overall low strength,

parrots have very powerful beaks, which they commonly use asweapons and tools. Successful attacks by a parrot’s beak are notsubject to the parrot’s negative Strength modifier.

RATARQS—The ultimate member of the family rodentia,ratarqs are larger and more intelligent than normal rodents. Theyare opportunists, and have their own set of ideas about getting theirway. Most are about the size of a small caton or canid. They havean arched spine and a long, naked tail. Relative to their bodies,their legs and clawed feet are small. Ratarqs have long, narrowheads with black eyes that taper to small noses with bristlingwhiskers. Two thin, erect ears sit upright on their heads. Their col-oring varies from all white, to cream, to brown, black, and spottedwith the aforementioned hues. There is even a rare long-hairedvariety. Their mouths are full of sharp teeth, commonly believed tobe poisonous, but, in reality, they frequently infect their victimswith disease. Ratarqs generally eat anything that does not eat themfirst.

An onlooker can watch a ratarq actually think. Its eyes questfor advantage at every opportunity and the little creatures have ahigh energy level. They never seem to sink into deep sleeps: somesay that if they ever fall completely asleep, they will die. Othercreatures, like bears, wolves, larger canids and catons, kill ratarqswhenever they are able, though they never eat them. Oddly, owlsdo not eat them either.

Ratarq familiars always come in pairs and sometimes inpacks of as many as 5-9. Only very strong witches should attemptto take on ratarq familiars, because they are difficult to control,especially in large numbers. They skitter across their partner’sshoulders, through her hair, and up and down her arms and skirtsconstantly. Their allegiance is fleeting, and must be renewed peri-odically. (A witch called Ellanie the Brown is said to have a ratarqcontrol spell, but I could find no reference to it. Calatin is currentlyattempting to track the down the veracity of this.) These creaturesare very good at following trails, especially down small holes.They have a natural tendency to pick up shiny objects, and oftengrab such items and run off with them.

Ratarqs are probably the least mentally attractive of famil-iars, but their sense of energy and curiosity can be of great help.They do have an occasional clownish side that is endearing.

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RATARQ

Small AnimalHit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)Initiative: +3 (Dex)Speed: 30 ft., climb 20 ft.AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)Attacks: Bite +1 meleeDamage: Bite 1d4Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: DiseaseSpecial Qualities: ScentSaves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +0Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 4Skills: Climb +10, Hide +11, Move Silently +6, Search +10Feats: Dodge.____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Any, especially urbanOrganization: Pairs or packs (3-9)Challenge Rating: _ Treasure: StandardAlignment: Chaotic neutralAdvancement: 2-3 HD

In appearance, a ratarq is much like a giant rat. It has anarched back and a hairless tail. A typical pose is with nose up andwhiskers quivering, scanning the area with both its beady eyes andits excellent sense of smell.

COMBATRatarqs are typically skittish, but when cornered or threatened

can pose quite a danger with their wicked little fangs.Disease(Ex): Filth fever—bite, Fortitude save (DC 12), incu-

bation period 1d3 days; damage 1d3 temporary Dexterity and 1d3temporary Constitution (see Disease, Chapter 3 of the DMG).

Skills: Ratarqs gain a +10 racial bonus to Climb and Searchchecks.

RAVENS—Goodly-sized birds with black glossy feathers,piercing black eyes, and black beaks, ravens have dark, rough, barelegs and claws that extend from the ends of their four toes. Thesebirds always appear to be assessing their surroundings, figuring outhow matters might favor them. Ravens show their affection by con-tinuing to return to their witches, often with shiny presents, and bybeing willing to work with other creatures. Sometimes ravens mustbe cajoled to work, for they generally do nothing that does notsomehow benefit them.

Ravens are ordinarily solitary, except for the occasional socialgathering, where they gossip and trade poetry and trinkets. Ravenshave acute hearing; they keep their ears cocked to the wind, oftenlearning about what’s going on in another region before otherbeings. They make excellent spies and messengers, and they havelong memories for words and verse. Some ravens can mimic other’svocalizations, whether humanoid or animal, and they delight in irri-tating others with this ability.

A raven’s base statistics are unchanged from those presented inthe MM.

RINGURS—Short-legged animals with clawed padded feet,fox-like tails streaked with black, and longish, stocky bodies. Fuzzy,rounded, black ears with white tufts sit atop their high-domed heads.Their brandy or red-amber eyes sparkle intensely, almost startlinglyso. They have moist black noses and short muzzles full of smallteeth. Their body color ranges from a dark, rusty shade to black ontheir legs and paws. They walk aggressively.

Ringurs are solitary (northern) forest dwellers, so they are nor-mally quite suspicious of others. Fierce predators, they prey on smallrodents and large insects. Their personalities are very direct; theycut through small matters and pounce on the heart of problems ordifficulties--which often puts them in opposition to canids andcatons within a Circle. Ringurs often argue with their witches, asthey think they know best. Their affections are not obvious, but theydo run very deep; they can be protective of their magical partners aswell as jealous. While argumentative and often surly, these animalsare extremely dedicated to their witch and her goals.

Some ringurs can contribute power to Circle rituals and somecan travel to the astral plane.

RINGUR

Tiny AnimalHit Dice: _ d8 (2 hp)Initiative: +2 (Dex)Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size)Attacks: Bite -1 meleeDamage: Bite 1d3-3Face/Reach: 2 _ ft. by 2 _ ft./2 ft.Special Qualities: ScentSaves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +0Abilities: Str 4, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 6Skills: Balance +10, Climb +10, Hide +12,

Pick Pocket +7, Spot +5Feats: Dodge____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Temperate forestsOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: _ Treasure: StandardAlignment: ChaoticAdvancement: 1 HD (Tiny), 2-3 HD (Small)

A ringur is covered in reddish-brown fur, apart from its tail,which is banded in black and white. It is able to grip almost as wellwith its front and back paws, both of which appear hand-like,although they are black and leathery. The eyes are surrounded bytufts of light fur, which makes the creature look as if it were wearingfurry spectacles.

TIRAMNES—These very rare animals are somewhat smallerthan a hart. Their body style resembles that of a horse, though twomain features set it apart: a long, dense coat of fine fur and theirthree horns. Two of these horns are actually small spikes set beneaththeir ears; the other horn is an elegant, braided, round extension seat-ed midway between the eyes about half an ell long. Tiramnes aregentle creatures—they are only aggressive when someone threatenstheir young, whereby, they attack with horns, hooves, and teeth--and

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they are extraordinarily magical; witches say the creatures are theembodiment of hope. In fact, just spotting one is said to charm one’slife. Legend tells that their magical abilities reside in their horns.This is why several important royal relics are set with tiramnespikes. It is said that Myncour the Black had a sword made of atiramne’s long braided horn.

Although others greatly value tiramne horns, the scholar-witchAthlayne recently proposed that it is the animal’s life force thatembodies their magic, not their horns-- this being the reason thehorns darken and eventually fall into splinters when separated fromthe dead creature (a live tiramne’s spikes glow faintly with a pearl-like shimmer). Whether this is true or not, some scholars have notedthat bad things have come to those who have severed these crea-tures’ horns from them.

Tiramne organs are also said to have curative properties, but Iknow of no healer or alchemist who has effectively substantiatedthis. Earlier in Myrra’s history, people hunted these elegant creaturesalmost to extinction, just for their horns and fur. An uprising of fel-low magical animals, headed by otters, owls, and catons, who per-suaded several powerful witch covens to assist, saved the creaturesfrom this fate.

Tiramnes are loving souls, whose quiet appreciation for lifetouches everything and everyone around them. Dythane Kierlan theWhite, who has the privilege of a triamne as familiar, claims thattheir essence stems from deep within the earth, like magic itself.

Tiramnes are known to possess the ability to concentrate onseveral things at one time. Some are even able to walk on the astralplane.

TIRAMNE

Medium-Size Magical BeastHit Dice: 4d10+4 (26 hp)Initiative: +3 (Dex)Speed: 60 ft.AC: 15 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)Attacks: Horn +6 melee, 2 hooves +1 meleeDamage: Horn 1d8+2, hoof 1d4+1Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with horn)Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +1Abilities: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 13Skills: Balance +7, Hide +10, Listen +4, Move Silently +7,

Sense Motive +10, Spot +4, Wilderness Lore +8 Feats: Alertness, Run____________________________________________Climate/Terrain: Temperate forestOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 3Treasure: StandardAlignment: Neutral goodAdvancement: 5-6 HD (Medium), 7-12 (Large)

The tiramne appears like a small hart, but with a luxuriouslong silky coat and three horns rather than antlers. There is a smallhorn above each ear, and a long, spiral horn arising from the centerof the tiramne’s forehead.

Special: Note that a tiramne familiar ignores the standardrules regarding Intelligence and Wisdom advancement (see Table

6—4 earlier in this chapter) and instead begin with the Intelligenceand Wisdom scores shown in the stat block above. These scores donot change as the familiar’s witch gains levels (unlike other famil-iars).

WEASELS—This group includes ferrets, ermine, and an occa-sional mink. They are long, narrow, short-furred creatures withclawed and padded paws on the ends of their four short legs. Evenwith short legs, weasels move quickly over short distances. Theirears are small and rounded, and they have intense black eyes thatsearch everything. They have black noses on the ends of their nar-row, triangular faces, and they have a mouth full of needle-sharpteeth. Their bodies end in a tapering, furred tail, and they have scentglands near their tail and beneath their ears that give off a heavymusky fragrance.

Weasels are "talkers," and they constantly mutter to them-selves and each other in chattering voices. They prey on smallrodents and birds, and they are extremely argumentative and quitefierce. Like ringurs, they focus unwaveringly on whatever attractstheir attention. These animals are always busy, or they’re asleep--there seems to be no state for them between drowsy and content.Their energy occurs in bursts, so they do not generally have greatstamina. Their sharp analytical abilities, which allow them to meas-ure a situation as good or ill quickly, balance their intense, insatiablecuriosity.

When awake and active, some weasels can share their energywith a Solis or Circle. Some weasels also have been known to travelthe astral plane.

A weasel’s base statistics are unchanged from those presentedin the MM.

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Coven Organization

"The people who become involved, are they all adults?" Volynmyr asked eagerly after a long pause.Mirelle shook her head. "No. The Craft, which is how witches speak of what they do, calls all ages. I

saw children as young as eight or ten summers working at the side of dythanes and arthions well past theirsixth decade. Some don’t discover their talent for the Craft until later in life. Classes of beginner tyros ofteninclude grandmothers, children, and women in their middle years."

"What was that word you just used? And the two before?"From her place beside his table, she found the proper scribbles and pointed them out on the parchment.

"Here, Sire. Here are the divisions. Tyros are the lowest class, the ones just starting, and there are three levelswithin that category: firthane, diaras, and zarsthior. Each time tyros pass a certain point and are ready to contin-ue, the witches have a ceremony and give them gifts. The first gift is usually a pentacle pendant made of puresilver in a disc shape. The witches stamp or, more often, hand-engrave this pentacle, and it is more powerfulthan the one made of silver wire given tyros when they first accept the Craft.

"Tyros are the most basic members of the coven. There are normally many more of them than any otherkind of witch. One of my sources of information, Calatin ab’Halla, who’s been studying the witches for years,says some who get into the Craft are content to stay at this level for the rest of their lives. Others are moreambitious, and they try to climb the ladder as quickly as possible. And a few forget entirely about the coven’slevels; instead, they relentlessly pursue their Craft-related interests without regard for advancement. These witch-es often become Solis, solitary witches, as their interests often lead them away from the coven. Some say that acoven’s dythane or archon, the coven’s more powerful witches, keep the Solis’ gifts and awards in a well-guardedplace, hoping that the lost witch will return for them one day and rejoin the coven. I was not able to find proof ofthis, however.

"The next full grade up is archon. These witches are leaders and teachers, although they never stoplearning the Craft themselves. ‘Once a witch, always a student,’ as the saying goes." Mirelle smiled. Herwolf friend flicked his ears, as if in agreement. "There are three levels of archon as well: shidras, burala, andyirthanan. The coven’s leader is usually at least a shidras or burala archon, sometimes called an arthion.The leader’s second in command, called a diverna, is also usually a shidras or burala. I have heard ofexceptions, of course; some witches with great weather-working talents have been granted a higher statuswhen their abilities proved greatly needed. There is a story, in fact," the bard riffled her notes, "where achild of thirteen winters led a coven."

"That’s amazing," breathed Volunmyr. "So young!""Yes. Ah, here it is. Medallie Seranyon, who knew more about storms than anyone else, led her

coven. She offered to step down after the need for her knowledge and power waned, but her covenmembers insisted she stay, and she led the coven quite effectively, I understand, and her covengrew into one of the most capable in recent memory. But keep in mind, Sire, that was a veryunusual situation."

"I’d like to see more on that," the prince said. Mirelle nodded. "It’s right here." She tapped the notes. "You can delve into it later. "As I said, there are also three divisions of archon. If a witch shows unusual

prowess, she can rise in rank two levels at a time, such as leaping from shidras toyirthanan. Again, as they advance in their studies and knowledge, they celebrate thelevels they pass with ceremonies and presents. The witches normally hold theseceremonies during Beltane and Samhain, the two largest celebrations dur-ing a witch’s year. These gifts usually include things that the witch can

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use during Raisings, like stone bowls for her altar, unusual piecesof wood for wands, and crystals and gems. If the group is fortunateenough to have a jeweler among their number, then she fashionsmany of the gifts. Otherwise, the witches usually befriend such asympathetic craftsman in the area, as they always need certainstones for their workings."

Volunmyr frowned. "Can a witch not facet stones herself?""Some can, but many witches do not want to spend the time

required away from their studies to work stones. Calatin told meabout a coven that faceted a large stone themselves to use in theirCircle; they call it the Moon of Silverglade. I’m told that it’s quiteremarkable, and many covens envy it. I’ve also been told that asmall coven exists that specializes in stone works, and, of course,there are Solis who have specialized in stone-working as well."

"Why do those not commonly make stones for the others?"asked the prince. "That seems to make the greatest sense."

Mirelle smiled. "A few do acquire stones from them, but thewitches fear that outsiders may taint such worked stones. This,according to my research, has happened in the past, and the resultswere not pretty." She again searched her notes, regaining her placein the narrative. "Ah, yes. Did I mention that the coven leader isnormally a high-level archon called an arthion?"

"I think you said that, yes.""Oh yes, here. The final rung upward is the dythane.

Normally, dythanes are the coven’s oldest and wisest women,although, historically, a few powerful young witches have attainedthis rank. Dythanes normally lead covens, although there are some,such as Tallia Indori, a brown witch who studies animals’ reactionsto earthquakes and other natural disasters to better predict them,who forfeit leadership to an archon to follow their own research."

"Intriguing," murmured the prince, thinking of the southernpart of his son’s lands where an earthquake had recently devastatedthe populace. "Has this Tallia had any luck?"

"Some. Tallia presented her last findings to a witch gatheringI attended. Her findings caused quite a stir; she proved that horses,cows, canids, catons, ratarqs, owls, and certain other birds couldfeel tension in the earth, which resulted in their knowing approxi-mately when an earthquake would strike.

"Back to dythanes… They have a presence about them. Theminute you meet one, you just "know" that they are special, pow-erful. Some archons exhibit this presence, too. They call it a "witchshadow," and it somehow attaches to their aura, though some canhide it—if need be."

"What is an aura?""The emanation of magical energy residing in a witch. Those

who see them claim that a witch’s aura appears as a halo aroundthe her head, and these auras are associated with certain colors,depending on what interest a witch leans toward."

"Explain that, please."Mirelle sucked in a breath, then let it out. "Certain talents are

linked to certain colors. Healing is usually green. Those who workwith living things have halos combined of brown and green.Peaceful folk have blue halos. Black halos are associated with neg-ative energy, and a gray halo, depending on the shade, can meanone who loves research, or one who hasn’t made up her mindabout her specialty. Opalescent is one who is good in severalareas. The witch’s aura shows all this."

"What color is yours?" the prince asked suddenly.

"Lucinda told me I have blue and green balanced," repliedthe bard. She laughed softly. "Though sometimes I doubt I havemuch blue. But color magic is another subject, Sire. You’ll find itunder that heading further along in my notes.

"Back to coven organization. There is usually one leader,usually an archon or dythane, and most refer to her as the arthion.The leader has a number of assistants called maranths. Her mainassistant, the diverna, is also an archon. She also names an assis-tant, an upper-level tyro, called a torithyn. Then there is the rest ofthe coven, all archons and tyros of various talents and levels.

"The arthion and the diverna make certain there are enoughwitches in the immediate area to do a Raising in times of need.They name alternates in cases of absence or illness. All covenmembers must tell the diverna when they are traveling out of theregion. Coveners magically send word about their meetings andmeditate in private before they gather. In the gathering, the leadersinitiate the ritual, which sets all the covener’s minds toward theconcentration point. When they achieve a combined mind on thefocal point, they can raise large amounts of power."

"So that’s how they do it," mused Volunmyr. "I have alwayswondered. Thank you for making this clearer to me, Bard-Mistress Mirelle."

"We’re not finished, Sire. There is one more person whostands with the Circle."

"But not in it?""Correct. This person is a very powerful witch called a vitke.

In some covens vitke are men; in others, they are women. A vitkestands just outside the circle with a magical weapon called amoonsword. She--or he, as I said, a vitke can be a man--protectsthe coven from both physical and mental attacks during theRaising. This witch must be very vigilant. Should this guardian failin her duties, the Raising can be ruined, causing ill effects foreveryone within the Circle. Such disasters can destroy the coven."

"So much responsibility vested in one person!" the princecommented.

"Indeed. It is a post of which I am in awe," Mirelle replied."The vitke must be able to see in this realm as well as the astralplane. He or she must also be well-versed in the coven’s enemiesand any planar creatures that might attack. Their familiars helpthem guard the Circle. Obviously, a vitke is normally a high-levelarchon or a dythane. This person can name an assistant, usually avitke who’s also had much training, called a tikarl. The arthionincludes these important witches in any of the coven’s plans.Vitkes also have a say in timing the Raising, and in the subject ofsuch powerful workings."

"How does an attack reflect on the coven members?""Again, I differ to Calatin, who has told me he’s seen witches

affected by such. When they are interrupted, the witches can losecontrol of the raised power. When this happens, the power surgesback into each of them with great intensity, and sometimes thisbacklash is stronger than the initial energy the witches attempted tocontrol. Many have their magic burned from their blood, and suchwitches, if they survive, lead lives from then on as mundane folk.Others have lost their senses entirely; Calatin says he’s seen anumber of village idiots who were once coven witches. He alsotold me that he’s heard of entire covens being wiped out.

"Attackers, usually evil planar creatures or black witches, tryto attack the coven at the peak of a power raising, as this causes

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the most damage to the coven. However, if the attacker turns thepower early in the working, the effects are much less severe."

Mirelle slipped back into her chair, bending to touch herwolf’s head. "And that is the organization of a Circle."Straightening, she sipped her wine. "I don’t want to keep you fromyou duties any longer, Sire."

Reading hungrily, Volunmyr waved his hand. "I’ve scheduledthe rest of the day with you, Bard-Mistress Mirelle. This is fasci-nating. Tell me more."

Her laugh rang through the room. "Very well, Sire. Turn twopages, and look for the heading ‘musical witches.’ They areintriguing."

The prince turned, searched with avid eyes, and nodded. "Goahead."

MUSICAL WITCHES"One of the more interesting types of covens do all their

power raising with music," Mirelle said. "For them, magic is verymusical. Notes and chords are associated with particular magicalconcepts, which are sung or played on instruments."

"What does it sound like?" asked Volunmyr. "A cacophony,I’ll bet."

"No, Sire. The chords built on musical magic have overtones.Dissonant chords, the ones that do not resonate easily together, canactually disperse magic. So, what you have is a beautiful piece ofmusic. The arthion composes it to have as many pleasing reso-nances as possible. The more perfect the performance, the morepower the coven raises. Calatin told me about a coven in the JewelForest that is nothing more than a chorus of voices.Unaccompanied by instruments, they sing to raise power, believingthis to be the purest form of their art. Calatin said the chorus is sobeautiful that it defies description. One day, I hope to have theprivilege of hearing them."

"You have participated in these musical power raisings?"Mirelle nodded. "Yes, I was with a group of firthane tyros, so

we weren’t very good. But we tried. And we actually raised a littlepower."

"What did it feel like?""I was not...allowed to experience it." Mirelle shifted uncomfortably, disturbed by this part of the

discussion. The prince noted it, and decided to bring it up again ata later time.

"Only dedicated tyros who have sworn themselves to theCraft have magic flow through them," she finished.

Volunmyr was obviously disappointed at not being able toexperience the bard’s encounter secondhand. "What else do youhave for me?"

WEDDED WITCHES"Well, this is a rather interesting fact." The bard paused in

her narrative to Prince Volunmyr."Go on.""I found out that fully half of all witches are married.""Truly?" The prince leaned back in his chair. "I thought most

were single. Necessarily so because of all the arcane things and research

with which they are involved." "The numbers surprised me, also. Wedded witches are divid-

ed into two groups: those who hide their Craft, and those whopractice it openly. Of those who hide it, they do so very carefully.It is easier for a Solis to hide her activities than a covener, as thediverna often assigns coven witches duties, which may take themaway from home for short periods of time. Oh, and as I mentionedbefore, some witches have familiars, like owls, who are too protec-tive to allow witches to seek mates, let alone marry. I’m sure agood number of single witches have such companions."

"To whom are the witches married?"Mirelle spread her hands in the air, palms toward herself.

"Anybody and everybody, the same as mundanes." She laughed."No one, not even the witches, has yet found rhyme or reason forwhy one person loves another."

"How true. So, if I meet a merchant or a baker’s wife on anystreet in any town in Myrra, she might be a witch?"

"Yes. Many of them recognize each other, because, as theysay, blood calls to blood. You’ll note that saying is listed later inmy Glossary and Phrases notes, in case you need confirmation onanything."

"Ah. You are organized, as usual. How do these partnershipswork?"

"Very often, the witch is a great help in her husband’s work.Attracting customers, making the goods better, or making certainthe ingredients are free from vermin—these things are part and

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WITCH HIERARCHY

Tyro: (Beginner)—Level 1: firthane—Level 2: diaras—Level 3: zarsthior

Archon: (A witch with quite a bit of learning and experience.They are powerful, and are usually teachers of tyros.)—Level 1: shidras—Level 2: burala—Level 3: yirthanan

Dythane: (Highest level. No divisions.)

Arthion: (Coven leader, usually an archon (at least a shidras orburala))

Maranth: (The arthion's assistant)

Diverna: (Secondary leader of a coven, who takes over in case thearthion is ill or wounded.)Torithyn: (The diverna's assistant)

Vitke: (A rare class of witch who stands outside of a workingCircle to protect it from attacks coming from the mundane or theastral planes. This witch carries a weapon called the moonsword,made of oxidized steel, blued steel, or a length of power stone.)

Tikarl: (A vitke's assistant, always a vitke-in-training.)

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parcel of what they do. As you know, blacksmithing and construc-tion are two accident-riddled businesses. A man in either profes-sion is lucky to have a witch as wife, because a goodly number ofthem are healers. One of the most astute witches I know is LadyTira of Cieran. I believe you have met her."

"Of course." Volunmyr looked amazed. "Lady Tira is a gra-cious woman with an extraordinary mind."

"Witches have learned the hard way not to bring undue atten-tion to themselves. Throughout Myrran history, you’ll find tales ofwitches being rounded up, incarcerated, tortured, and slaughteredjust because they practiced the Craft--and this still happens. Somepeople are quite afraid of witches, and these folk would rather seeevery witch exterminated than suffer one to live next door. This iswhy a number of witches hide their Craft. It is amazing how longone can go on doing little witchly things, and no one notices."

LEGEND OF THE MOON GODDESS Mirelle’s Note: Calatin told me this legend, and it is one he

assured me all witches treasure. Originally, all Myrran witcheswere Solis, until the wise women named Delith and Saradel beganimpacting the Craft with their talents. They created the firstcovens. At some point, their lore was lost, and covens did notspring into being again for several hundred years.

Witches often tell this story during their Moon Celebrations,during Beltaine and Samhain. They usually tell it with magicalaccompaniment, so their audience can enjoy scenes from the narra-tive. In fact, some witches work on spells and pyrotechnics formonths to make the performance more memorable. Tyros supplymany sound effects. I find the story charming, and I am workingon a ballad with this as its subject.

"Long, long ago, Myrra and the world upon which it lay hada very tiny moon that affected nothing and no one, not even witch-es. It was merely a small, pretty face in the dark heavens above.

Long, long before the creation of Palidori House and theSilver Circle, only Solis, solitary witches, lived on Myrra. Duringthis time, a girl named Renjanay Mon’t’indori, an ancestor of thatnotable family of a similar name, lived in a mansion inSilverglade. The last daughter of a low-ranking nobleman underCount Chelias, Renja grew up playing in the forest surrounding herfather’s small demesne. Her mother Ervythian taught the girleverything she needed to know about gaining a titled husband andkeeping his home for him. But Renja desired something more inlife; she knew there had to be something for her beyond what hermother had in mind. Household business, like the precise timingof the castle’s quarterly cleanings and making sure the servantsproperly spitted the roasts in the kitchen, bored the girl.

Renja’s blood pounded in her ears. At times, she was listless.Other times, her boundless energy propelled her from one task oridea to the next. And she longed for a friend she could not find.Renja appreciated her older and younger brothers, but neither satis-fied her craving for a soul mate and her walks every day in thewoods somewhat eased her longing. She wandered unscathedthere, basking in the bewildering variety of the plants and insects,but especially loving the wildlife that responded to her gentle pres-ence.

Fox cubs gamboled at her feet. Birds wreathed her brandy-colored hair in feathers and flowers. Harts grazed nearby, unboth-ered by her closeness, as she plaited flowers and branches for them

to nibble. Renja loved all of them, but neither were they the com-panion of which she dreamed.

One day, Renja heard a disturbance while walking in herbeloved forest. The normally friendly wildlife disappeared, aspounding hooves and horses’ laboured breaths filled her ears. Ananimal flashed past her, rushing silently through the brush. Itseyes were wide, and its tongue protruded from its small whitemuzzle. Blood ran in a startling crimson path from a wound in itsside, matting its furry coat. Panting, obviously near the end of itsstrength, it skidded to a stop and turned to the girl.

Please, it pleaded. Hide me!Renja’s heart responded at once. This was the creature she

had been searching for!Casting about, the girl found nowhere suitable for a lair.

Then she discovered a hollow formed by an uprooted tree. Thedepression was small, filled with leaves, sticks, and other forestdetritus. Scooping out the debris, Renja urged the wounded animalto hide within. It did, all the while straining alert ears toward itspursuers.

Hurry, hurry, the white beast said in her mind. Come lie herebeside me. This prince and his sister, the ones who follow me, arecruel. They will not deal kindly with any creature that helps theirprey.

Then there is only one thing to do, the girl replied silently.Trusting the voice in her mind for some reason, Renja stepped intothe hole beside her new friend. She began piling leaves over themboth, as the sound of the hunting party grew to thunder. Huggingthe furry white animal to her, they trembled in the hole together.

"Do not move," the girl whispered into its ear.The hunters halted very near them."Where did that triamne go?" a gruff voice called. "It was

just in front of us!""It seemed to disappear, Prince Daryan. I--I’ve heard they

sometimes do that.""A triamne turn into a rabbit and bolt down a hole?" A

woman’s voice laughed. "I don’t think so.""How did it disappear?" the first voice demanded. "We were

right on the end of its shiny little tail! Huffman, take Skylar andgo that way. Quelch, follow Varshal over there. We will find it. Iwant those magical horns."

Prince Daryan, his sister, and their huntsmen forced theirtired horses around the glade after the others left. Then they dis-mounted and walked over the same area. The prince muttering tohimself, becoming more and more irritated.

"Give it a bit more time, Daryan," said the woman’s voice."We’ll surely find it."

"If we don’t have that animal in our possession before sun-set, Alariss, our plans, so long in the making, will fail."

"I know, brother. But when have we ever failed workingtogether?"

The triamne began vibrating in Renja’s arms. She tried tohush it, reaching out to cup its delicate muzzle in her hand. Thewhite beast looked at her with eyes like obsidian pools, obviousdespite the darkness of their hiding place.

My name is Chaillar. Do not worry.The words rang soft yet confident in her mind. Renja hugged

the little animal harder, hoping it was right. She didn’t want eitherof them to become victims of Daryan and Alaris’s greed. Despite

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that, the triamne increased its song."What are you doing?" she asked quietly. "Those people will

hear!"It is a spell. Please help me."But I don’t know how." Let me guide you. Just continue what you’re doing and think

of us walking together, free.Renja kept her arms tight around the animal’s chest. She con-

centrated on the sound it made. The vibration sounded very muchlike a cat’s purr, except deeper and without breaks. She let it sinkinto her soul. Suddenly, Renja no longer felt afraid.

She had no idea how long they lay hidden beneath the leavesand twigs, but the prince’s boots finally stomped away, followedby his sister’s lighter steps. They mounted their horses and calledto their cohort to follow. Not waiting for those they’d sent to lookelsewhere in the forest, Prince Daryan and Princess Alariss rodeaway. Soon after, the abandoned followers galloped up to the treewhere the two were hiding. Halting, they milled about the area,discussing the situation in loud voices. Finally, they also headedoff in the same direction they’d come.

The two fugitives stayed in the depression until normalwildlife noises gradually returned to the area. Renja and Chaillarfinally shook off their camouflage.

Thank you for saving me, her Chaillar said, nuzzling thegirl’s hand.

"You could have saved yourself," Renja replied, marveling atthe velvety softness of Chaillar’s nose. I did very little, shethought. With a bit of her skirt, she wiped away the blood trailingdown the triamne’s side and tried to staunch the seeping wound.

That is not true. You gave me time and your strength. Youallowed me to concentrate. I needed that to complete the spell.

"What? You heard that?" Renja asked.Yes. You can speak to me with your mind, as I speak to you

in yours. We are soul-linked, Renja.What kind of spell was it?One of silence. It insured that the hunters would not hear us.Renja sucked in a deep breath. Will you...will you teach it to

me?Chaillar ‘s laugh sounded sweet in the afternoon air. I will

teach you many things, my good friend. From now on, we twoshall learn everything together.

They continued talking, getting to know each other, as onlywitches and their familiars can, until a sudden absence of birdsongalerted them to danger.

By then it was too late. The net came over their heads frombehind, followed by Prince Daryan’s satisfied chuckle and PrincessAlariss’s squeal of delight.

* * *

"I’m getting too old for this, my girl." The old woman Delithleaned on her daughter Saradel’s arm, as their familiars gambollednear their feet on the forest path.

"Nonsense, Mother. A brisk daily walk is good for anyone."She smiled. "Especially for you. You need to get away after all themagic you have been wielding to form the covens. And, you arethe only woman I know who loves this forest more than the ani-mals who live here."

"I am an animal who lives here. And so are you, my lovelySaradel. Are you saying that you have little love for this place?"

"I said nothing like that." White witch Arthion Saradel eyedher black-robed mother sidelong, enjoying their normal banter.Despite Delith’s wrinkles and her silver hair, the dythane’s deepblue eyes were still bright, her mind sharp and subtle. The wiseold woman kept everyone in her gathering on their toes...and evensome not in her group, including her daughter. "You know how Ifeel."

"That I do, very well." She sighed, looking up at Saradel."That may be the reason which led me to have an ethical daughterwith a strong love of nature, rather than one I could train to followin my footsteps."

"Nonsense. You know very well preferences vary with indi-viduals. Look at Heathras and Berelda. They began somethingnone of us expected. Berelda is too logical, especially for a child."

"I still think what I ate during my pregnancy changed you.Maybe it was those raspberries."

"You would exchange me in a flicker for another personalitymore like yours, had you the chance," Saradel teased.

"I may have to," her mother replied swiftly. "No one in theBlack March is as strong as you. And since you are working onmaking your own group, essentially I have no daughter to turnmine over---"

"Wait." Saradel stopped just after her river otter, Plays WithLight, and Delith’s large black caton, Moonshadow, both quit theirgame and lifted their ears toward the same direction. "What’s thatodd sound?"

"Not a sound, daughter, it’s a psychic disturbance." Delithstraightened slightly. "Someone’s hurting a young one withpower."

"Two young ones, it feels like to me." Saradel gathered herembroidered bright blue skirts, preparing to run. "Catch up with uswhen you can."

"Do you really think that is necess---""Don’t question me on this, Mother. Remember my ethics.""As if I can ever forget them, my dear. You never allow that.

Go! Go! Save the tyros if you can. The Craft can always use morestrong personalities. We will hurry behind you as best as two oldones can."

"Call to the groups, Mother; yours and mine. That link youwere working on, do you think you can join everyone?" Delithgave a wordless gesture of uncertainty. "Very well. Raise thepower as fast as you can, and do what you can with your specialspell to link them together."

"That I will do. Go!"Saradel whirled, pounding along the path, then abandoned it

for the bracken. Her cream and brown river otter bounded beforeher, pointing the way with its rounded nose, muttering commentaryon everything he saw. The witch muttered also, bespelling theirheadlong travel with silence.

Approaching a certain lovely glade, the pair slowed, creepingforward. What they discovered caused great anger in both of them.

A triamne and a young girl were imprisoned beneath a net ofrope, tied at its joins with cold iron. They were both in agony. Agroup of men, with one elegantly dressed and important-lookingman in their ruffian midst, and one haughty, well-dressed womanstanding apart from them, the group delightfully watched their cap-

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tives’ torment, and they laughed at their pitiful cries. A pile ofblack robes resembling Delith’s lay nearby, and something twistedand arcane lay beneath them, hunched in shadow, as if hiding fromthe afternoon sun.

Another cry from the girl child brought the witch’s attentionback to her purpose. She could stand the torture no longer.Stepping from the trees, she knew her coppery hair and white dressgained fire in the sun’s rays. Her anger lent more authority to heralready commanding presence.

"Stop that this instant."The men froze, whirling to stare at the apparition interrupting

their play. The huddled black robes ceased moving."Well, well," said the nobleman, recovering first. "Here is a

lovely ghost come to pay us a call.""Release the prisoners."The nobleman bowed mockingly. "Lady, I cannot. The pris-

oners are not mine, so I have no power to release them. I am, bythe way, Prince Daryan of Nothringale. This is my sister, PrincessAlariss."

"You are wasting time in word play. If you cannot free theprisoners, I will." Saradel hoped that Delith had gotten word totheir respective gatherings. She needed power to rout this group.She and Plays With Light could keep them at bay for a little while,but a group of ten would likely prove too large for her. No, eleven,Saradel corrected herself, as the black robes stirred slightly.

"Is this your daughter?" Alariss asked, shoving the net closerto the girl with her boot. The girl beneath it groaned. "Your sister?Your cousin?"

"She is my sister and my student.""Then I need to ask your permission," grinned Daryan."For what?""I am thinking of making her my wife. Would she not make a

pretty little countess?""We would have to do something about those sores before

the wedding, brother," Alariss said with a superior smile. "I doubtthe people of Northringale would accept a countess with a marredface such as the one she wears now."

Saradel heard the child sob. She also felt the failing triamnetrying to reach her despite the control of cold iron surrounding it.Her anger froze.

"Let them go now," she demanded.The sun began sinking behind the trees and the black robes

on the forest floor quivered violently."Sorry, but we cannot," replied Alariss. "They belong to

that." She pointed first to the prisoners, and then to the quakingcloth.

Saradel stepped forward, determined to do something. A wallof grinning men cut her off from the young ones. Every one ofthem carried a piece of cold iron. She could see and hear the childand the triamne, but she dared not reach to free them without moremagic than she herself possessed.

A sulphuric scent assailed her nostrils, and fear swelled up inher. Suddenly, Saradel knew what lay beneath the black robes. Theanswer was a reward for many years of dedicated study. Her eyeswidened in shock. She turned to the prince and princess.

"You dare to bring that--that abomination into this world!You have no idea what you plan to turn loose here!"

Daryan shrugged. "It is a demon, a little one. We have a con-

tract with it. And we have fulfilled our part of the bargain." His sister nodded, pointing at the figures beneath the net.

"We give it them, especially the horns. While the creature stilllives."

"It has fooled you both." Saradel indicated the quiveringcloth with a shaking hand. "Here is no little demon. That’sFalthrian of the Dark Vault. I recognize its personality. It will slurpyour souls up for dessert, and then be off to destroy everything ofworth in the world. It’s attempted that before."

Mother! Sisters of the Black March and of the White River--help me now! Saradel pleaded silently. Her blood stirred. Magicwas on its way, but would it be enough? Would it be in time?

"Ah, there you are." Delith stamped abruptly into the gladewith her caton Starshadow. "Ooof, I haven’t moved that quickly inyears." Seemingly aloof to the imminent danger beneath the shak-ing black robes nearby, the dythane asked, "Do we have time fortea? I could use a good, strong cup."

"Mother," Saradel whispered."Oh," Delith said, disappointed. "There is no fire. I thought

this was a proper party. I must be at the wrong place.""Mo-ther, please.""Subtlety, my dear," the old woman said brightly, smiling at

the nobles with a convincing vacant expression. "Remember, ageand subtlety can often conquer a greater force of youth and exuber-ance. Do you recall the link I made? It is working. This will be abig, bright explosion when it goes." She threw her hands upward,simulating an explosion.

Delith was up to her usual tricks. In this case, Saradel cer-tainly hoped so. Her own life did not matter. If her mother couldjust turn attention toward herself for long enough, Saradel wouldmove to contain the demon and set free the younglings. She couldfeel the gatherings at White River and Black March stirring. Powercollected in her mind, easing at first uncertainly through the linkDelith had recently created for just such emergencies.

Daryan snarled, "Get out of here, old woman.""Oh, and look," Delith caroled, heading toward the quaking

robes. "You have a fine extra set of clothes here. Must be thinkingof staying the night. Lovely location. Just lovely."

"She’s mad, Daryan," said Araliss. "Completely beyond rea-son. Let me deal with her." She followed the old woman with onehand outstretched, trying to catch her before she reached the robes.

Saradel reached out to the child and the triamne, poking for ahole in the net no matter how tiny. She finally found one, andslipped into their pain-ridden consciousnesses.

Can you understand me? She asked.We...hear. Renja responded. Help. Please help.Precious ones, your saving means that we all have to make a

great sacrifice. I am sorry. There is no other way to do it. We dealwith a dire demon here before he becomes mature with your hornsand blood. There is only one place to take him where we knowMyrra and her people will be safe. It is beyond this earth. You willhave to be his guards forever. Can you do this?

There was only a moment of silence. We will do this, thecaptives responded.

Tears stung Saradel’s eyes. You are very brave. I promiseyou, for the price we pay today there will be a great reward. Youwill be an inspiration to young witches forever.

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Wait for my signal. Renja, merge your thoughts withChailla’s. It will not be long.

Saradel surfaced, finding Delith bending over the quakingblack pile, and Araliss two steps away from grabbing her sleeve.She herself was still confronted by a row of now-rowdy men.Daryan was growing impatient.

"Give this one to us, your Highness," one brute cajoled."We know what to do with her."

"At sunset, you can have her. And the old woman, too."Saradel smiled. With her as usual, Plays With Light unhesi-

tatingly paced the maze in her mind that concentrated the powerfrom the Black March and the White River groups. There was nodissent. Each woman and each familiar knew what had to be done,and they embraced the concept with combined wills.

"You will not last that long."Her voice filled the glade and thundered through the forest.

Saradel opened her mind completely to power, as Delith did thesame, throwing the cover from Falthrian of the Dark Vault. Sheand Starshadow sank hands, claws, arms, and teeth deep into thedemon’s coruscating form.

The old woman screamed words of power and attachmentthrough her pain. Saradel grabbed her essence just as Aralisslocked a hand on Delith’s arm. Daryan and his men came at her.Growing beyond herself in a blinding flash, what was left ofSaradel linked with the minds of the prisoners beneath the tortuousnet.

"MOON," she whispered, and the world of Myrra faded.

* * *

Those who looked upward that night witnessed the greatchange. It began in the forest, where a ball of blazing silver gath-ered until night no longer existed. Then it shot skyward, its greatpluming tail marking its path.

Long moments later, the sky exploded with a peculiar, noise-less flash. Shooting stars, like tendrils, rained down upon the earthand the moon grew to its present sylvan majesty.

The people of Myrra marveled. They made up many storiesabout it, but only two people of power knew the truth.

When Herthras and Berelda awoke, they found all of theirgathering friends and their familiars dead around them. Sore inheart and mind from profound effort, as well as loss, they combedthe area for signs of other life. They found nothing until theyreached the glade where the battle had taken place.

Trees still stood, untouched by the power that changed thegrass. Instead of green, it glowed in a perfect silver circle. Peculiarblack and white flowers with touches of blue grew there too. Thewomen knew those could live nowhere else.

Their boots scuffed against small, hard stones. Bereldapicked one up, and gasped. Moonlight, the new moonlight,appeared trapped within. It gleamed in her palm, somehow com-forting to her bereft mind.

"Mother, look," she said, holding one out. "Saradel andDelith left us gifts to remember them."

The women turned their tear-streaked faces to the sky, hold-ing hands. "We take you as our goddess, moon of Myrra," Herthrasintoned. "You are in glory because of the sacrifice of the witches."

"Shine your light ever more for your followers, Renj’sa-lith,"

prayed Berelda. "Guide us as we rebuild what you worked so hardto establish all of your lives."

"We will seek women of power, and we will teach them yourways. Having known you, we are moon-blessed."

And so the schooling of witches continued and Herthras andBerelda found their lives now tied to the phases of their moon god-dess. Both built their own gatherings, calling them covens. Theydevised Myrra’s witchly orders, and appointed talented women tolead them.

Across Myrra, those who knew saw the moon’s gray-tintedface, and they knew the spirits of Renja, Chaillar, Saradel, PlaysWith Light, Delith, and Starshadow lived within those shadows,and the new covens vowed to guard against Falthrian of the DarkVault forever.

GREETINGS AND COMMON PHRASESFrom Calatin’s Notes:

I have set down a number of basic phrases the witches ofMyrra use. These prove that these fascinating people have indeedformed a culture-within-a-culture.

"Have I seen you in Circle?" Said by a witch if she seessomeone she thinks is in a coven, but isn’t certain. It’s the properway to introduce herself as a witch without revealing her shadow-name.

"Are you of the blood?" or "Blood calls to blood." Asked orstated by one witch to another if the first is fairly certain the otheris a tyro. The blood, of course, refers to the change made when awoman or man decides to become a witch. With that determina-tion, their blood becomes sensitive to cold iron. Most witches rec-ognize others of the same persuasion because of this.

"Blood knows blood." Said of one witch meeting anotherbecause they very often "feel" something intangible when anotherwitch is nearby.

"Let there be only truth between us." This phrase is usedwhenever two or more witches have a serious conversation. Itstands as a binding verbal contract. Even black witches do not takeit lightly; it is never used in jest.

"Once a witch, always a student." Said of any witch, becausetheir lives become dedicated to the study of powerful words andphrases.

"Your name is shadowed." Referring to a witch’s shadow-name, by which she is known only to the world of her sisters. Hermundane name, the one she uses outside of her magical associates,is like a nickname. It has no association with her shadow-name,such as Nikki being directly related to Niquiline.

GARMENT MAKING AND GARBMany of the witches of Myrra wear clothing purchased from

merchants, particularly for everyday activities. This saves them theconsiderable amount of time it would take to make the clothesthemselves. Some witches, however, particularly those who dis-tance themselves from society, sew all of their own garments—from simple tunics to elaborate robes and cloaks. And they oftenraise and sheer sheep or harvest cotton and flax to make the mate-rial. They refuse to dress in anything made by another’s hands.They boil plants from the garden to make dyes of yellow, red,blues, and some greens. The keenest of witches have preciserecipes for the dyes so they can get the same color with each batch.

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And they bleach linen in the sun, as the material does not takecolor well.

Even those witches who purchase their garments must makea few of their own—for use in rituals or to be worn at specialcoven meetings and sacred holidays. Witches who are discoveredto wear garments made by another at coven rituals are typicallyreleased from their covens and often punished.

RITUAL CLOTHINGDuring special coven gatherings, or at times when witches

gather to cast powerful group spells, they typically don clothesthey have made themselves. Some coven members have access toenchantments that are cast as the clothes are sewn. Others gothrough an involved rite when sewing. These witches believe theritual garments aid them during the workings of their magic.

Despite all of the effort that goes into these clothes, they areactually starkly simple, loose and flowing. Ritual clothing consistsof straight-line gowns and half-moon cloaks that extend to thewitch’s heels, all fashioned with undyed wool or linen. Thoughoften voluminous, particularly on slender witches, the garments donot restrict the wearer’s movements.

Ritual garments are not flashy, as they are not meant to drawattention to the witch wearing them. The clothes have no bows orbuttons, and if there is embroidery, it is plain and neat, and kept toa minimum. In fact, the plainness of the clothes draws attentionaway from the witch. All focus is on the event and the magic—asit should be.

SACRED HOLIDAYSClothing worn during holidays is another matter. The richer

the color, the more lace, beads, and buttons the better. In addition,the richer the witch, the more elegant and embellished her holidaygarb.

A garment called a carpen, a fitted underdress made of thefinest, soft colorful cotton, with long, tight sleeves and a long skirt,is usually put on first. A witch wears a traipen over this, which hassleeves that reach no farther than the elbow. The skirt barely hangsto the ankle, and it is traditionally gathered up on one or both hips,displaying the vibrant color of the carpen beneath.

Often each witch embroiders the garment with symbols forspells she has researched or coven marking—though these decora-tions are difficult to discern, particularly by people who are not ofthe weave. Sometimes a witch colors the garment with rare dyesfrom plants she has quested for. And, sometimes a witch sewssecret objects into the garment’s hem or collar, in effect, makingthe garment a spell component. The fabrics are the finest the witchcan afford—the very best worsteds and silks during pleasantweather months and rich heavy brocades, velvets, and thick woolsduring cold times.

ACCOUTREMENTSWitches commonly wear veils, usually dyed lace that incor-

porates designs of something dear to the wearer—such as imagesof familiars, constellations, or favorite flowers. Some witches favorelaborate hats; these range from squares of colorful, beaded linenworn as scarves, to large involved swatches twisted into three-cor-nered caps.

Some white witch coveners plait their hair into long braids,

and they sew triangles of leather or birch bark, decorated withpearls and semi-precious stones, into these braids. Some blackwitches wear hats resembling crowns; they are highly decoratedand lavishly embroidered, with fine nets of pearls hanging downon the forehead, and strings of beads or pearls dangle from thesides to graze their cheeks. Some black witches favor reticulatedheaddresses made of thin wire and festooned with beads carvedinto the shapes of fantastic creatures. Brown witches, except thoseliving in the coldest climes, rarely wear hats. Gray witches preferdecorated headbands, with the oldest among them wearing hatswith fur ear straps and hoods that are wide enough to cover thecheeks and shoulders.

Belts are rarely made of plain leather. They are usually thinand braided with fine cloth, and they are embellished with beads orgemstones and tiny bells. In some covens, the belts signifyevents—gaining in stature, bringing in a new initiate, or creating agroup spell. So, it is not uncommon for a witch to wear three orfour intricate belts during holidays and special coven gatherings.Miniature, colorful drawstring pouches often decorate these belts.These pouches can hide tiny tools, spell components, and othersmall items.

In lands where the winds are fierce or the temperaturesunforgiving, witches wear fancy surcoats typically made of wooland lined in silk or linen. Some witches prefer "sideless surcoats,"which look like beautiful, narrow bibs sewn onto full skirts. Theseare most often trimmed in expensive buttons or carved woodenbeads. The wealthier witches decorate them with precious stones(sometimes enchanted gemstones).

To complete their best garb, some witches tie ribbons orstrips of expensive fabric to the elbows of their dresses and sur-coats. The length of the ribbons can signify many things, from thewitch’s age, to her number of years in a coven, or the number ofspells she has created.

DRESSING FOR THE WEAVESome witches choose to dress according to the color of their

magic. Brown witches seem to have the greatest variation in thestyles of clothes they wear. For example, a few brown witch covenmembers will only wear garments fashioned from plant fibers.Others will only wear woolen garments.

One brown coven might favor roomy gowns that hide thewitch’s figure. Some of these gowns have deep V-necks that revealthe witch’s shoulders, while the wide skirts make the witch lookmuch larger than she truly is. These gowns have long, baggysleeves, and the tips—unless gathered with ties—hang down totouch the ground. Their hooded cloaks are likewise large.

On the far end of the spectrum, the members of a differentbrown coven might dress in scant clothes, wearing as little as pos-sible because they want to be closer to nature and to feel the windagainst their skin. Members of one brown coven to the far southeven shave their heads, pluck their eyebrows, and wear clothesonly when traveling away from their lands, or when dealing withothers not of the weave.

Several brown covens even frown on their members wearingshoes of any kind. They believe that nothing should separate thewitch’s skin from being in contact with the earth. These witchesbecome inured to the vagaries of inclement weather and have solesas tough as leather.

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Myrra is home to a great number of witches, and thereby, home to quite a few organi-zations of the various weaves. These cooperatives—covens, schools, tribes, and the like—allow the witches, and sometimes their relatives, an opportunity to share their ener-gy and creativity. The groups provide support, companionship, and areforums where witches can form tight bonds and grow both magicallyand spiritually.

This chapter discusses many such covens, includingsome of the more powerful and interesting organizations,but this list is by no means exhaustive. GMs might usethese organizations to spark adventures, as some ofthem might want to hire the PCs and some mighteven make worthy enemies. PCs wanting to join oneof these groups must, of course, seek them out andpass any of their membership requirements. Theymust also purchase the Witch Organization feat (seeWitch Organization feat in Chapter 3, which alsodescribes the benefits of joining one of these organiza-tions).

THE ARCANE CLAW OF SH’GON-KAWitches of the brown, gray, and black weave can

petition to join the Arcane Claw of Sh’gon-Ka—provid-ed they can find the stronghold. The Claw was formedin 1468 A.T., only twenty years ago, when twin brownwitches left Slendira’s Sisterhood, dissatisfied that therewas not a strong enough force guiding the organization.Intent on creating a gathering with a single purpose andmore capable leaders, the sisters—Megdal and Genifel—established the group’s doctrine and set themselves up asco-rulers. The doctrine is simple—witches of the brownweave, who are willing to devote their lives to creatingnew magical spells, potions, and powders, will find ahome of safety and fellowship within the clutches of TheArcane Claw.

The name comes from a magical item Megdal gained inher travels in the southern desert. She considers it her mostprized possession. The Arcane Claw of Sh’gon-Ka is a boiledleather gauntlet, the fingers of which are tipped in sharp bronzepoints resembling claws. A powerful warrior-sorcerer fromSh’gon-Ka created the item more than a century ago. How thegauntlet came to be in a desert ruins remains a mystery. Thepowers of the Claw are many, though only a few are common-ly known. When Megdal wears the gauntlet, she can castspells as if she were one level higher. In addition, she resists

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all charm-based spells with a +2 competence bonus and gains a+3 competence bonus versus the fear spell. It is rumored a sec-ond claw exists, one which is even more powerful and grants thewearer the ability to charm others. The sisters often hire merce-naries to search for the item or to locate sages who know of itsexistence. They also pay handsomely for leads on the secondclaw’s whereabouts. So PCs with such information, or with timeon their hands to search, could find work with the Claw ofSh’gon-Ka.

As the sisters hope to make the Claw someday rival theSingers of the Southwest Wind in number, they turn few aspiringmembers away. There are scant requisites. A member must be abrown witch or a witch who wishes to become a brown witch. Inaddition, a person must be able to find the stronghold and mustbe willing to pledge his or her loyalty to the twins. Unlike someother organizations, which embrace only women, the Clawaccepts male witches as members. In fact, the sisters encouragemen to join, and they encourage members to marry and procreate,further increasing their numbers. Members must pledge one quar-ter of any earnings they acquire to the Claw. The Claw uses thiswealth to pay adventurers to search for the second Claw ofSh’gon-Ka and to purchase magical trinkets and scrolls.

The Claw’s stronghold consists of a series of caves alongthe Dragon Sea, a few miles north of Sh’gon’Ka. Prospectivemembers must first be able to find the caves, which illusions andtides mask. A pair of desert beasts dear to Megdal and Genifelguards the entrance, and wards and sigils further protect thetwin’s chambers. A handful of sages in Sh’gon-Ka can providereasonable directions—for a price or a favor. The black marketcan also reveal the location for even a steeper price, but only ifthe Claw wishes to be found.

Inside the natural cave chambers, which wend up into thehills safely above the tides, are elaborate rooms with artfully tiledwalls and ceilings, illuminated by magical gems. The twins hiredartisans from Sh’gon-Ka to perform the work; then they usedpowerful scrolls on the artisans to dissolve any of their memoriesregarding the cave and their witch occupants. The stronghold’sfurnishings are simple but fine, and desktops and bookcases arecluttered with knickknacks from all corners of Myrra, many ofwhich hold enchantments.

The witches of the Arcane Claw always seek magicalbaubles, and their representatives in Sh’gon-Ka—an arcane blackmarket of sorts—gladly purchase trinkets from adventurers. PCsin Sh’gon-Ka could do financially well for themselves if theyestablish contacts with the black market and sell items theyobtain during their travels.

Player characters might accidentally come across theClaw’s black market, be approached to sell their magical items,or be quested to search for the second gauntlet. One of the PCsmight also petition to join the organization, and might afterwardbe tasked with traveling across Myrra looking for scrolls andother magicks for the twins.

CIRCLE OF SHADOWSOnly thirteen women belong to the Circle of Shadows, a

gathering of black witches bent on gaining an ever-increasingamount of arcane power and unique spells. The Circle of

Shadows traces its roots to 1104 A.T., the year after TheShattered Circle formed.

They are said to be masters of mind-control spells andpotions that grant them dominion over the monstrous races ofMyrra. And they are reported to have hideous minions under theircommand that discourage the curious from getting close to thethirteen.

The Circle is constantly on the move, having started in atower on the southern outskirts of Bixbee, and having then beendriven out by a band of righteous sorcerers who feared the pres-ence of the dark witches. From time to time, they return to thatold tower to worry the locals, who no longer have the resourcesto stand up to them. But most often the witches of the Circle ofShadows roam in the central part of Myrra, from Kar-Kar to Ar-Lan, and sometimes in the northern reaches of the Aranni Desert.

Scholars have tried to trace their precise route, guessingthat there is nothing random about their course and that there issome sinister purpose involved. They suspect the Circle is gather-ing magical artifacts along the way, as traces of their presencehave been noted at ancient ruins and places where great battleswere once fought. More than one band of adventurers has report-ed seeing thirteen shadowy shapes descend on them to strip themof their hard-won magical treasures.

One scholar, who has made it his life’s work to study theCircle of Shadows, believes the founding witch is still alive, hermagic and spells staving off the years. If his research is accurate,the woman is Alera Dalan, who was purported to be in her eight-ies in the year 1104 A.T. She was among the most powerful ofthe black witches of the time, and she refused all apprentices.One old tome concerning her reads: "Alera can command thearcane forces of the earth with a gesture and can chase the sunfrom the noon sky. She once opened a fissure to swallow a manwho made a comment about her stature, and she turned to bonesa herd of horses barring her way to a stream. Yet, for all her mag-ical strength, she has little physical presence. She is as small as achild and has hair as white and thin as a cloud. There is inno-cence etched on her cherubic face, and the scent of wildflowersfollows her everywhere. Despite her years on the earth, she bearsnot a wrinkle, and her eyes are a sharp crystal blue that seem totake in everything—and measure it."

While those learned in witchlore are skeptical that AleraDalan still lives, yet there is no record of her death. A cemeterynear Bixbee, however, does have barely-legible stones that markthe passing of her parents.

The clearest record of the Circle of Shadow’s doings comesfrom a madwoman who served as an apprentice to one of thethirteen. She lives in the company of clerics in Bixbee, who carefor her. In her rare lucid moments, she talks of the Circle seekinga set of blood-red gemstones from the days of Myrra’s creation.Imbued with legendary power, the thirteen believe the stones cangive them dominion over every living creature. It is why they areconstantly traveling, the madwoman claims, as they follow onelead after the next. She says it is possible they already possess atleast one of the stones. She thinks she saw a slip of a womanwith birdlike hands holding a glistening red stone that pulsedwith power. It was after witnessing that, she says, that she wasdismissed from service. She claims her senses have not been

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right since, her memory fleeting like a butterfly. And she fearsthat one day soon—when the Circle returns to lands nearBixbee—the shadow-women will come for her and take the lastof her mind.

It is possible the player characters might come into posses-sion of a magical item or tome the thirteen witches of the Circleof Shadows desire. Or, perhaps they unwittingly venture into thesame ruins where the shadow-women search for the blood-redgemstones. In any event, should the PCs see the faces of theCircle, the witches will never rest until they have eradicated thisnew threat.

THE DAUGHTERS OF CA’DI-USThe Daughters of Ca’di-us were formed in 1122 A.T. from

those wayward witches who refused to listen to the Silver Circleand were determined to follow their own path. Originally theirintention was to stand as guardians of Myrra, defending heragainst the Arak or any other threat that might menace the land orpeople. However, in so doing they explored avenues of knowl-edge and power that grieved the Goddess and led them downpaths that imperilled their very souls. Although many had nottruly realised the danger that they were in, and were grateful forthe chance to atone and return to the ‘Way of the Witch’ whenfinally confronted by the Silver Circle, others found the immensepowers into which they had tapped exhilarating, and refused toforsake them. These became the first Daughters of Ca’di-us.

Rejected, by the Goddess, they turned to another source ofspiritual power and guidance, the dark goddess Ca’di-us. Thisevil deity welcomed such talented and useful servants and ledthem to a great and ancient underground complex beneath aruined temple. From that day until even now, their work has con-tinued, using the powers of witchcraft to further the ends of theirdeity. Their goals are power, knowledge and personal satisfac-tion. It is said – at least by the Daughters – that whatever anindividual’s greatest desire might be, she can attain it as a loyalDaughter of Ca’di-us.

Most witches wishing to join the Daughters of Ca’di-ushave already turned to the Black aspect of the weave; and if theyhave not yet done so, they are expected to at the earliest opportu-nity. The first task of an aspiring Daughter is to locate the ancienttemple where they are based, and then to gain admittance. Thereare no particular entrance requirements save a determination toaccomplish a desired objective, whatever it takes. A task, involv-ing what might be termed as a moral dilemma, is often set foraspiring Daughters, though the choices made are of less impor-tance than the end result: a candidate who accomplishes her settask by doing good would be preferred over one who deliberatelycauses harm, but fails in the task.

THE EPISCOPATEThe thirteen council members of the Episcopate live in a

tower at the very edge of one of the smaller merchants’ districtsin Spool. The council is composed of six white witches, sixbrown, and one gray, with each member serving thirteen years.The council terms have been so established so that only one

witch rotates out each year, and another is selected from witcheswho claim affiliation with the Episcopate. Currently, ten of thecouncil members are women, and three are men. More than 200brown, white, gray and unaffiliated (standard) witches claimmembership to the Episcopate. Most belong to smaller covens,and some also claim membership in other organizations, such asthe Singers of the Southwest Wind. The members are scatteredthroughout Myrra, and they are required to make a pilgrimage toSpool once every three years. Members who wish to becomecouncil members usually make annual pilgrimages or live withinthe city.

The Episcopate is as much a religion as it is a gathering ofwitches. All members worship the Moon and the Moon Goddess,believing all magic comes from the two.

All members of the Episcopate commit to memory a smallritual book, which is filled with poetic and philosophical pas-sages about the Moon and the Moon Goddess. The passages areshared only between members and during worship services, andseveral of the passages are used as greetings or to verify themembership of other Episcopate members. For example, here isone of the simplest greetings:

Witch #1: "M"Witch #2 reply: "Blessed O"Witch #1: "O"Witch #2 reply: "Blessed N"Witch #1: "Many"Witch #2 reply: "Opt to follow"Witch: #1: "Opt to worship"Together: "None are turned away under the

light of the Moon."

The ritual book of the group is reworked every thirteenyears, incorporating new philosophies, recording majorEpiscopate events, and listing the names of those Episcopatewitches who have passed on.

The thirteen council members dress in white silk robes thatdrape to the floor and that have sleeves reaching to the tips oftheir fingers. The robes represent the color of the moon. They aretied about the waist with a brown, gray, and white woven cord,knotted in an elaborate fashion. Sewn along the collar are thirteenmoons. They are embroidered hollow to represent each year amember has served on the council. In the final year, all themoons are filled in.

Residents of Spool are well aware of the tower, and theyknow that it is a place of witches. Some stay clear of the areabecause they fear all things arcane. Others, however, venture tothe area daily, hoping to catch site of something wondrous hap-pening or to meet one of the witches as they come and go fromthe place. This phenomenon, has resulted in the nearest mer-chants having thriving businesses, and a few of the merchantscater to the witches and other spellcasters, offering oddities thatcan be used as spell components, herbs, scroll cases, and all man-ner of arcane accoutrements.

On the last day of each month, the council members and allvisiting Episcopates hold a festival outside the tower, providingfood and drink for all those who come for fellowship. Talented

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witches sing and dance, while others light up the sky with magi-cal effects.

People who have met the witches, especially during the fes-tival nights, say they are courteous and willing to talk for a fewmoments, answering simple questions about the organization andthe Moon Goddess. Some commoners have even been taken intothe tower and accepted into the fold. No one has reported any-thing untoward happening to those who have spoken to thewitches, though there have been a few incidents where peskychildren were spooked away.

A player character witch might seek the council, wanting tojoin the Episcopate. There are no physical tests to do so, and thecouncil members simply look into the petitioner’s soul to see ifhe or she truly worships the Moon and the Moon Goddess.Pretenders are turned away. The faithful, however, are welcomed,and they are instantly blessed with the abilities listed under theWitch Organizations feat (see Chapter 3).

GARDEN RETREATNorth of Dunmere there dwells a cooperative of brown,

gray, and unaffiliated witches who operate a vineyard andorchard. Only those in the weave—and a handful of savvy adven-turers who have stumbled across the operation—realize that thecaretakers are witches, as the Garden Retreat members have beencareful to keep their true nature a secret.

The Garden Retreat is for the most part a religious order,though they do not follow the teachings of any one god. Rather,they worship Nature, believing the wind, rain, moon, and sun arethe most powerful forces on Myrra, and that the earth holds thespirits of all witches. Whether there is truth to their beliefs or notis uncertain. However, visiting sorcerers have discovered that theland the vineyard and orchard sits upon holds some sort ofenchantment. The apples and pears from the orchard are insect-free, luscious, and perfect and the grapes from the vineyardthrive and make a delicately intriguing and slightly spicy wine.

About forty witches work the vineyard, with another twentytending to the orchard. In addition, nearly two dozen relatives ofsome of the witches press grapes and help with the rest of thewinemaking operation. The fruits and wines are sold in Dunmereand occasionally to small villages in the area.

Members of the Garden Retreat rarely stay indefinitely.They are encouraged to travel throughout Myrra, spreading theworship of Nature, learning new spells, and acquiring recipes forwines. This allows initiates to rotate into the fold and "stay in thegarden for a time," as it is called.

Witches in the Garden Retreat dress as common laborers,and they wear little to no jewelry. Nothing marks them as mem-bers of the weave, though some keep spell components hiddenaway in various pockets. They know most folks in Dunmere andacross Myrra are suspicious of witches, and they do not want tojeopardize their home and business by letting word out thatwitches hold sway here. They divide the money from the sale ofwine and fruit between the workers, with some set aside to aidDunmere’s poor or to hire the occasional band of adventurers tosafeguard wine shipments or acquire new grape seedlings.

It is likely that only player characters of the weave will

notice that the people of the Garden Retreat are witches. If thePCs threaten to expose the witches, they could find themselvespermanent laborers or ensorcelled to forget they’d set foot on theenchanted land in the first place.

HIGHBORNOnly the aristocracy of Myrra’s witches can endeavor to

join this gathering of witches. The Highborn accepts women andmen of all aspects of the weave, provided they are at least 7thlevel and wealthy, having at least 200,000 gp in assets. TheHighborn require no ordeals or tests. Most of the society’s mem-bers have no weave affiliation; they are merely witches.

Queen Fendira of Ar-Lan’s Roost leads the Highborns, andthe other members elected her to serve in this position, which shecan serve until her death or until she desires to step down. Theword is that Fendira bribed other Highborns to vote her into herposition, but, as this is standard practice within the organization,it matters very little to anyone if that is truly the case. Typically,the wealthiest witch has always led the membership.

The Highborn considers itself a coven, though some of itswitches also belong to other, smaller covens whose membershipis not as financially exclusive. Currently there are about thirtymembers, but membership fluctuates with the rise and fall of for-tunes.

Many of the members openly discuss their wealth and howthey came about it. Some keep such matters secret, though, andsuch members are usually the source of speculation and gossip.The sole purpose of the organization seems to be to provide aplace for the affluent witches to mingle, mate, and find ways tomultiply their riches. Gold is as important as magic, though pow-erful magical items seem the most valuable of all.

Members of the Highborn dress in the finest clothes avail-able, and they often have servants to craft all but their ritual garb.They amass collections of gems and jewelry, and they displaythese glittering necklaces, bracelets, and rings proudly to theirfellows.

Highborns rarely concern themselves with the happeningsbeyond the boundaries of their individual land holdings or out-side the walls of their Southport keep. They only seem to takeinterest in such things that directly threaten their lands. For most,the condition of the common folk remains far beneath theirnotice.

The Highborn witches do take an interest in progressingtheir skills as witches, however, and they are willing to spendmoney on new enchantments and magical baubles. They are keenon learning magic that will help them enchant gems and jewelry.Some Highborns are quick to hire adventurers—usually throughthird parties, so they can remain anonymous—to pursue somemagic item or rare book. And they also hire well-armed adventur-ers to escort them from city to city. These mercenaries must, ofcourse, be well-dressed and reasonably well-mannered. In return,they are well-paid.

The Highborn have many enemies, as always elements inthe poor quarters hate and envy the rich. Also, some speculatethat not all the Highborns came by their gold honestly, and thatthose they took it from often seek vengeance. Because of this,

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people periodically attempt to kill members of the Highborn.Usually, the witches can take care of matters themselves, with thethreat disappearing in a proverbial puff of smoke. The witcheshave been known to employ bodyguards, however, usually whenthe threats seem unusually strong. Thus, there are several waysplayer characters could be introduced to this organization. Ofcourse, the most simple is for a rich PC witch to try to join theirexclusive ranks.

IN THE GRACE OF THE LADYThere is a tiny island far out in Harmony Bay called ‘In the

Grace of the Lady.’ A haunting mist that perpetually hangs justabove the water hides the island from the eyes of all non-witches.Here, coven-less witches who attain a respectable level of powercome to study the first witch’s lore and to feel the essence of theearly magic. Witches of all weaves are welcomed, and while onthe island, they must be at peace with one another. Whether thissense of calm and acceptance is forced upon them magically isunknown. But what is known is that while the witches are withinthe mists, they exchange no harsh words.

Only four witches claim the island as home; all others areconsidered visitors, and they stay anywhere from a few hours to ayear. The four witches, who represent each weave, and who claim

the Lady herself beckoned them to the island in their dreams,encourage return visits. None have challenged the four for theirpositions, and they have served at their posts for more than adecade. The four universally claim they will also know when it istime for them to leave.

Not all witches know about the island. A witch must attaina certain level of power (8th level or above) to feel the pull of theold magic and sense the invitation of the four caretakers. In addi-tion, she might have a considerable distance to travel to reachSpool or another community on the shore and to set out for themists. Those who are "called" are called for a reason. Perhapsthere is some great quest they must undertake, and they are to getdirection from one or more of the caretakers. Perhaps their soul istroubled, and they must cleanse their spirit before undertakingfurther magical studies. Or, perhaps the caretakers have need of aband of adventurers to complete a mission far from the island, orthey need them to protect the island from trespassers. No matterthe reason for the summons, the island’s ancient forces bless allthose who are called to its shores.

Some visitors claim that during their stay on In the Graceof the Lady they were gifted with rare abilities—such as beingable to see clearly in the blackest of nights or to hear as keenly asan owl. Others say they gained new spells to cast or found magi-cal rings mysteriously appearing on their fingers.

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The caretakers claim these boons are all gifts from theLady, who in spirit form, continues to watch over her children inthe various weaves.

NIGHTSTORMThe night is a blanket, hiding all manner of things from the

common eye. It also hides the presence of these witches, a collec-tive of women (usually of the brown or white weaves, but alsounaffiliated) who have grown to shun the sunlight and who havefound power and spirituality in the darkness. The night unitesthem, and they shun traveling or using magic during the daylighthours, though they will do so to defend themselves. They havecompletely embraced the evening shadows, reveling in the quietand mystery that overtakes Myrra when the sun goes down.Many actively protect Myrra from other creatures that use thecover of night to prey on others.

These witches call themselves Nightstorm, after theirfounder Mareel Nytstrom, a human white witch who is more thanone hundred years old. She started the gathering on her fortiethbirthday. Nytstrom was forced into the evening life, as a powerfuland unbreakable curse cast on her by a black witch causes her tobe blind and deaf and to weaken when she is under the light ofthe sun. So by day, she and her followers seek refuge in cavesand tunnels and inside well-shuttered rooms. The curse apparent-ly also granted Nytstrom immortality. She appears not to haveaged since her fortieth birthday.

The covens’ familiars are also night-dwellers—mostly batsand owls and a variety of nocturnal rodents. A few of the witchesrely on cats to venture forth during the daylight and report backon what is going on in the area.

Sages guess that there are roughly four dozen of the witch-es, broken into two clans, or covens—one to the east of theAranni Desert and one to the south. Mareel divides her timebetween the two groups.

The Nightstorm witches dwell in ruins and caves, but arealways on the move, staying in one place no more than a fewweeks. Their possessions are meager and must be able to be car-ried with them. They dress in flowing gossamer robes of graysand blacks, desiring to blend in with the shadows, and theyblacken their bladed weapons so the steel will not flash under thelight of the moon.

Many of the witches of the Nightstorm worship an incarna-tion of the Moon Goddess, while some of the witches claim noreligious allegiance at all. Still others look on Mareel Nytstromas an earthbound deity, though any such worshipping is done onan individual basis. The witches do join together for ritualisticchants, however. These chants help "center" the witches, puttingthem in touch with their inner magic, and soothing their spirits.Those who have watched the chant sessions say they are mesmer-ized by the sight of the shifting shadows and the pale, upraisedhands. Inevitably, they are caught up in the women’s soft andmelodic voices.

Each night Mareel shares some of her knowledge with acoven member—teaching her about night-dwelling animals, starformations, insect noises, and night-blooming plants. In addition,Mareel researches darkness spells with them, perfecting the

enchantments to a degree unknown to other witches. It is saidMareel has a repertoire of spells that cause shadows to come tolife, the stars to disappear, lightning to change colors, and thenightbirds to double in size and strength.

Mareel is cautious to accept new individuals into the order,for fear the petitioners are only interested in the magic she canteach them. Perhaps that is one of the reasons Nightstorm doesn’tstay long in one place—they want to stay beyond the reach of thecurious.

Player characters might chance upon Nightstorm if theytravel during the evening. Or they might be contacted by one ofMareel’s witches, as Nightstorm occasionally needs "eyes" dur-ing the day, particularly if tensions are uneasy between gather-ings and covens. The group also needs messengers to work forthem when the sun is out.

NYLA-KON’S NATATORIUMNyla-Kon’s Natatorium is a magic school that sits high in

the mountains directly west of Hobb Hill. Members of variousweaves and some sages know of its existence. The Natatoriumaccepts only non-evil students, and more than a few young witch-es have been turned away because their "hearts were black."

The Natatorium accepts about twelve students each year,usually only 1st-level witches who possess great wisdom (Wis14+) and good intelligence (Int 12+). The students spend a yearat the school working to better understand the nature of the magicthey wield. To do this, they study Myrran history, witchlore, andrituals. Nyla-Kon, who founded the school more than eightyyears ago, believed that to wield magic well, one had to firstlearn about its beginnings.

As most of the instructors and students are of the grayweave, the school also emphasizes rational thinking, controllingone’s emotions, and exploring alternate (non-magical) avenuesfor problem resolution. They stress that magic is precious andshould be used wisely and with deliberateness.

Other witches look favorably on the school’s graduates, andsome of the graduates have become prominent city leaders, open-ly and proudly admitting to being witches, coven leaders, teach-ers, and renowned adventurers. Some have even started their ownschools. The Highborn Queen Fendira is one of Natatorium’smost noted graduates (see Highborns above).

Non-witches sometimes visit the school to use its vastlibrary (always for a fee or for a favor) or to consult some of thewise witches on the school’s staff. Player characters seeking toresearch a relic, a bit of obscure Myrran history, or a cure for amagical curse might want to visit the school’s library, too. Theschool’s staff might also ask a PC to be guest lecturer, or theschool might hire the PCs to protect a group of students on afieldtrip to a dangerous part of Myrra.

Getting to the Natatorium is not easy—unless the individualhas been invited. Those lucky ones "see" a path up the mountain,one that is steep, but relatively easy to travel. Those not as fortu-nate, face an arduous and dangerous climb, and are likely to runacross some of the beasts that make their home on the craggyslopes.

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PALIDORI HOUSEBefore Palidori House was founded, witches gathered

rarely, if at all, and certainly not in any formal organisation.Syrilia Indori was alarmed when one of the most powerful witch-es she knew, her friend Christa Mahendra, died in a house fireleaving her daughter, a small child of five, with no training in theCraft. In taking the child, who she renamed Angharis, "the well-loved one," into her home and raising her with her own power,Christa realised that there must have been many cases in whichthe chain was broken without another witch being available topass essential skills and knowledge on. With this revelationhaunting her, she formed the group that has become known as thePalidori House a few years later, in 925 A.T.

Syrilia’s intent was to protect the knowledge and traditionsof the Tsoli (sah-lee) and to insure that knowledge was passeddown from mother and daughter for generations to come. One ofthe most notable traditions was the ability to harness the powersof the earth through use of the Craft, known to the Tsoli as ‘TheWay of the Witch.’ Even to this day, Palidori House continuesprimarily as an instructional group, one which provides supportto any tyro they encounter that is lacking in other witches fromwhom to learn, in particular those who have been orphaned bythe loss of a witch mother. Agents of the House often appear inthe guise of "distant relatives" to provide homes and instructionfor such unfortunates.

Over the years, many traditions have built up within thePalidori House. Chief amongst these is that knowledge is neverwithheld from another witch. It is often said that the witchphrase, "Let there be truth between us" originated amongst mem-bers of this community. Membership in Palidori House is drawnfrom all colors of the Weave (save Black), although youngstersare taught a wide-ranging view of the Craft which embraces alltraditions.

Despite the name, Palidori House, there is no set location,no actual building where the group meets. It is more a concept, asharing of knowledge and mutual support, something handeddown through the ages from witch to witch. There are two waysin which a PC witch may be connected with the House. One whohas been orphaned in youth may have been raised under the aus-pices of the Palidori House, having been both nurtured andtrained by a member witch rather than her own mother. Otherwitches may feel drawn in later years to contribute to the work ofthe House by building up archives and training youngsters in theCraft. Somehow, the amorphous hierarchy of the House knowssuch things, and such a witch will be visited by one who wel-comes her and ensures that she has access to support at need. Forexample, should an orphan of the blood require a home, theHouse provides the necessary funds to support the child until sheis old enough to make her own way.

Sometimes, a witch’s first introduction to the PalidoriHouse may be a late-night knock from an old lady bearing a babyor leading a small child by the hand. "We are sure that you canhelp," the visitor says. "This child needs a loving home and, indue course of time, to be trained in the ‘Way of the Witch.’" Suchis the strength of the tradition, it is rare for a witch to even con-template refusing.

Other witches, particularly those who spend much time on

the road, may be contacted with a request to travel to a givenlocation and collect an orphaned child. They are instructed topresent themselves as a "distant relative," being given sufficientdetails to maintain the masquerade, and provided with both fundsand an address to which the child should be delivered.

SCHOLAR’S RETREATThis, too, is a magic school, but one that is open to all

witches of reasonable power. It takes a witch of at least 6th levelto sense the energy of the place and locate it. The Retreat is outof phase with its surroundings, enchanted with some of the samespells that go into magical items such as cloaks of displacementand rings of invisibility. Like Nyla-Kon’s Natatorium, it is locat-ed high in the mountains, though this thin tower is found on aridge north of Southport. It overlooks the sea, and those whohave wended their way up and down its austere staircases claimthat one is able to hear the incessant and peaceful rush of thewater against the shore at all times.

The Retreat is old, some believing that it dates back morethan 700 years. The outer stones are weathered and have dimmedto match the color of the fog that hugs the sea in the early morn-ing hours. The tower’s inside is always damp, the air heavy withthe scent of the sea and salt, and the rooms are high-ceilingedand narrow, with furniture enchanted to hold off the moisture andthe years.

At any one time, a dozen or more witches can be foundhere, meditating, healing from horrible ordeals, and researchingmagical spells and devices. The Retreat has one of the mostimpressive libraries in all of Myrra, and though books and scrollscan be found on almost any topic, the greatest most titles are ded-icated to legends, witchlore, and arcane curses and glyphs. Someof the most valuable books were written centuries past, and thewitches have preserved their pages with magic. Not all of thebooks can be easily read, as languages had different nuancesthen, and some of the oldest tomes are penned in a cryptic lan-guage used only by Myrra’s first witches.

The school has a lone "teacher," and she is believed bysome to be as old as the tower itself. She is Rethain’alTidinsmeer, a gray witch who died a very long time ago. Herghostly spirit guides all those who seek her supernatural wisdom,though she favors assisting those of the gray weave. Of course,not everyone who comes to the tower is prepared to deal with aghost. Those who overcome their fear, however, are in for a rareexperience. Rethain’al is tireless, her words coming to visitingwitches even while they sleep. She tells them of the birth ofmagic in the world and her beliefs on why some people aredrawn to the weave and why some can never master magic. Andshe extols her theories that magic pulses through the earth likeveins pulse beneath a person’s skins. Those who are born abovethe strongest veins can pursue life as a witch, and those bornbetween veins can only look on the gifted with awe or fear.

The school is not without other spirits, those of witcheswho have passed beyond the weave and who once studied here.Whether they return from time to time to visit with Rethain’al orto look in on present-day scholars is unknown. None of them stayfor long.

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Player characters could learn of the Scholar’s Retreat andattempt to find it to study there. Non-witches are allowedentrance if in the company of a witch of at least 6th level whowill vouch for them. Rethain’al’s spirit does not visit any non-witch visitors—unless she seeks a boon or quest from them. Inthis event, she might ask the PCs to retrieve some rare tomesfrom elsewhere in Myrra, or she may task them with chasingdown a witch who stole some books from the tower. In return fortheir aid, she might gift them with magic, money, or information.

SHATTERED CIRCLEThe thirty-nine members of the Shattered Circle are witches

of the black and brown weaves who were thrown out of othercovens. The reasons for their dismal are myriad—failure toattend a special gathering, stealing from a covener, breakingcoven laws, and more. Anger and chance brought them together,and together they created this gathering—one with few rules andno real leader, one that decides all matters by a majority vote.Because of this, this group is dangerous, unpredictable, and proneto waver in its actions; revenge against those who ousted themfrom previous covens fuels many of their actions.

The Shattered Circle is often based in the far south, a littleto the southeast of Sh’gon-Ka, and in the shadows of the moun-tains. Their home is a small, sturdy fortress, which is actually afabrication from a member’s magical necklace. So when theShattered Circle needs to move, the fortress moves with them.

The organization’s goals are simple—they work together toexact some satisfying measure of vengeance against the covensthat spurned them, and they work together for the magical better-ment of their members. This latter entails gaining magical treas-ures by whatever means available—venturing into ruins, robbingmerchant caravans, or stealing from unwary adventuring bands.Frequently, three or four Shattered Circle members leave thefortress to acquire such wealth or information. They have beenknown to visit taverns where gossip flows as steadily as ale.

Player characters are likely to run into the Shattered Circleby accident. The Circle might try to rob them, might hire (andthen double-cross) them, or might buy them a drink in a run-down tavern in exchange for a useful tidbit or rumor. PCs whoanger one of the witches will likely find themselves a vengeance-target and could be on the run for a long time. Of course, a PCwho has been ejected from another coven could easily join themas well.

THE SILVER CIRCLEAfter many years of war with the Arak, some of the Tsoli

women – many of whom had been trained by or associated withthe Palidori House - had begun to use the Craft in somewhatdubious ways, ways that transgressed the normal tenets of doingno harm to others. At first it was believed that this was a goodthing, that there were times when such actions could be justified.Helping to protect the people of Northlandere from the Arakseemed noble, a cause for which the rules could be bent if notbroken. But such things exact a price. The sisters who used theCraft for these purposes became more and more determined to

quash the Arak, and in doing so, lost sight of ‘The Way of theWitch.’

Concerned about this trend, in 1103 A.T., sisters fromPalidori House founded the Silver Circle. The Silver Circle wasformed to help bring these witches who had lost their way backinto the fold. Unfortunately, like with most things diabolical, itwasn't that easy. The Silver Circle was able to bring many of thesisters back, but a few broke away and formed their own covenin 1122 A.T. (see Daughters of Ca’di-us below).

The Silver Circle has remained active, however. Most of itsmembers are Gray Witches, although a few White, Brown andunaffiliated witches have also become members of the Circleover the years. It is a quiet organisation, working behind thescenes much of the time, though its members are not afraid toconfront an erring witch when it appears warranted. Members ofthe Circle operate under many strictures and constraints, as theyare determined not to repeat the mistakes of their errant sistersand never to permit the end, however worthy, to justify themeans.

Witches wishing to join – or, as is more frequent, who areselected as candidates for the Circle – are subjected to a search-ing inquisition on their entire career within the Craft. Standingalone in a circular chamber, lit by a solitary candle at its centre,they are challenged with a mixture of hypothetical cases andexamples from their own life, being required to make bothinstantaneous choices and to explain their reasoning for thechoices made. If they can be shown to have acted for the goodand with a positive commitment to doing no harm to others, theymay be accepted.

Members of the Silver Circle see themselves as standingbetween darkness and the light that is the ‘Wisdom of theGoddess.’ Their role is as guides and guardians, leading all otherpractitioners of the Craft on the true ‘Way of the Witch.’ Thosewho have strayed are confronted, for no Circle witch shirks herduty. The errant witch is required to stand much as a candidatefor the Circle does, and be questioned primarily on their ownactions (although hypothetical examples may be thrown in at theoption of the Circle). Atonement may be demanded if the Circlefeels that a witch may be salvaged, otherwise the only results areexoneration or death.

SINGERS OF THE SOUTHWEST WINDOne of the largest organizations of witches in all of Myrra,

the Singers boast more than 400 members, who meet in smallergroups scattered across the continent. The Singers trace theirroots back nearly a thousand years, to a time of devastation in thefar north. It was a winter of violent weather, climaxed with afierce wind from the southwest that laid waste to farms and vil-lages and claimed the lives of more than 900 in the lands north ofCrane’s Rest.

One small village, Harmony Breeze, just south of Sheyrr,was miraculously spared the natural onslaught. Harmony Breezewas home to H’latha Descant, an old and powerful gray witchwho used every ounce of her magic to keep the winds at bay. It

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was no secret H’latha was a witch, both loved and feared by thevillagers. Historical accounts claim that during the worst day ofthe weather’s onslaught, she sang her spells, her arcane melodysomehow rising above the keening storm. The winds whippedaround Harmony Breeze, barely rustling a piece of thatch, andthey continued on their hellish course to the mountains andbeyond, reaching as far as the outskirts of Serech.

H’latha had followers in the village, and they spread thenews of her miraculous deed. Soon, brown initiates flocked to thevillage to learn from her, swelling Harmony Breeze’s populationand sending waves of worry and speculation through the village’snon-blooded residents. Despite H’latha’s heroics, some villagers,fearing witches and magic altogether, still detested her presence.With the influx of more witches, these magic-fearing folkapproached the village elders about their growing concerns, andthe elders, after months of deliberation, eventually orderedH’latha and her followers to leave Harmony Breeze. WhileH’latha certainly had the power to refuse the elders’ dictum—shecould have leveled the village or charmed the elders— instead,she calmly accepted their judgment and moved her followers intothe northern wilderlands between Sheyrr and Cairnmere. There,in the area’s foothills, she and her brown initiates built their owncommunity, and they effectively disappeared from the eyes ofmen.

The following year, harsh weather returned to the north,though the winds were not quite as strong. Still, a strong stormfrom the southwest severely struck Harmony Breeze, the villagethat had ousted H’latha and her witches. Only a handful of peo-ple survived, and, coincidentally, all the survivors had previouslysupported the witches’ presence in their village. The survivorsclaimed at once that H’latha had brought the devastation, and oneyoung woman among them swore the wind sang the old witch’sname as it whistled destructively through the village. That spring,the survivors set out to the south to search for H’latha and herinitiates, hoping to find safety and forgiveness with them. Theyabandoned their luckless search, however, upon summer’s end,and they settled in another village they encountered along theway.

Word in the weave says that H’latha did not bring the win-ter storm, as there was little magic left in her at that time; she’dspent her powers saving Harmony Breeze. But rumors persistedfor more than a hundred years that she and her followers hadbanded together to cast a single spell of great power to smite thevillage and slay those who turned the old woman away. The truthof the matter remains a mystery.

Some time after these events, the old witch and her bandbecame known as the Singers of the Southwest Wind, with talesof their exploits being far more myth than fact. None alive todayknow what really happened in the village, or where H’latha andher initiates left to make their home. To this day witches stillsearch the northern foothills, looking for some trace of the origi-nal Singers’ trappings and the ruins of Harmony Breeze.

Today, the strongest witches in the Singers remain in thenorth, traveling between Crane’s Rest, Serech, and Sheyrr. Theyare proficient in all manner of weather magics, and adventurersand fellow witches seek them out to learn more about H’lathaand the powerful artifacts rumors says she possessed.

Dozens of covens feed into the Singers, each with eightmembers—one to represent each compass point: north, north-west, northeast, south, southwest, southeast, east, and west. Thewitch representing the southwest holds sway in each coven. Inaddition, dozens of solitary witches claim membership in theSingers. The majority of the witches are of the brown weave, butthere are gray, white, and unaffiliated witches as well. TheSingers also embrace their close family members, and althoughthese individuals do not possess magical ability, the organization,nonetheless, finds them valuable. Many are scholars who recordthe Singers’ history or who research old tomes. Others are farm-ers and herbalists, who provide food and spell components.

A small snowflake embroidered on her sleeve marks awitch as a Singer, and members of this association address eachother with this or a similar greeting:

"I come from the southwest, sister."This is responded to with, "Together we will sing with the

wind."Those seeking to join the Singers must pass the Ordeal of

Weather, in which the initiate must accurately predict the weatherfor the coming two days and command some weather-relatedspells. In addition, she must survive a wintry night, exposed tothe elements, on her own. Several initiates claim to have seenvisions of H’latha during this time, and they say the old witch’sspirit talked to them.

Every eight years, the Singers travel to the northern moun-tains on a mystical pilgrimage, where they meet to share spellsand fellowship. In the month-long festival, the people of themountain villages keep to their borders, fearing the gatheredwitches might bring down vicious winds if interrupted. Also dur-ing this time, young witches seeking to join the august organiza-tion journey north to find the Singers, take their tests, andbecome accepted into their ranks.

Player characters might encounter members of this organi-zation by being accidentally caught in the path of witches look-ing for the Singers, or they might find themselves in a bit of badweather—courtesy of Singers testing someone in the Ordeal ofWeather. A witch PC might also seek to join the Singers of theSouthwest Wind.

SLENDIRA’S SISTERHOODThis band of brown witches makes their home in the arid

heart of the Aranni Desert. At one time, they numbered nearly300, as initiates braved the inhospitable heat to learn from thefounder, Slendira. History paints her as a kind and noble womanwho shunned civilization and embraced the harshest of environ-ments. "Only when nature tests us, drives us to the point ofdespair and death, can we find the true beauty in ourselves and inthe world," Slendira wrote. Her philosophies are recorded inpriceless volumes that are stored in the Sisterhood’s stronghold inthe desert. Images of the sage adorn the stronghold, and follow-ers dress as she did—in simple tunics of thin cotton.

Members of the Sisterhood have built up a tolerance for theheat, and their skin is dark and leathery from years under thedesert sun. They are all proficient at fasting, as when they travelin the desert they are faced with the prospect of sandstorms thatcan foul their food and slow their journey—hence stretching their

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scant water supply. And some of them are expert astrologers andastronomers, as nowhere in Myrra are the stars as bright andnumerous as over the Arrani Desert.

Since Slendira’s death 60 years ago, the Sisterhood hasdwindled, and no one voice has stepped up to take her place.Many have tried, but none have been able to win their peers’respect and acceptance. And so the Council of Seven, whichseeks to follow Slendira’s goals and teachings, governs theSisterhood. The band now numbers slightly less than 100, and bythe end of the century, scholars expect Slendira’s Sisterhood todisappear altogether. The Council of Seven, however, hopes toreverse the trend and to again attract strong-minded brown witch-es who want to find strength in themselves and beauty in theworld. To this end, they have sent messengers into the far cornersof Myrra, contacting young brown witches—women only—andbidding them come to the desert. The Council of Seven hopes to,in this way, find an extraordinary candidate, one whom theSisterhood might nurture and groom to take Slendira’s place.

The easiest way for the player characters to encounterSlendira’s Sisterhood is for one of the sisterhood’s messengers tocontact them, especially if one among party is a brown witch.The Council of Seven might ask them to serve as messengers,locating good brown witch candidates for the Sisterhood. Thereis also the possibility that the PCs could hear of Slendira’s rarephilosophical tomes, and they might journey to the heart of thedesert in the hopes of reading those works.

WHITE WITCHES OF HOBB HILLThis gathering formed in 1255 A.T., the year the largest of

the Arak bandit groups were driven out of the north. Unknown tothe northern people, a coven of white witches had aided thenorthern forces fighting the bandits, secretly casting spells tobefuddle the bandit leaders’ minds, while at the same time, usingtheir magic to bolster the northern fighters. When the skirmishesended, the witches quietly moved south, considering their workfinished. They did not want the northern people to learn of them.They also wanted to locate another group in need of aid. Afterthree years of helping travelers along the river, they settled in thefoothills to the northwest of Hobb Hill, and they settled into arole of protecting the area’s people and safeguarding the riverand nearby forest.

Hobb Hill witches live deep in the earth, in natural cavernsenhanced by their spells. Tunnels connect the thirteen covens thatmake up this group, which in turn have thirteen members each.Narrow tunnels extend to the east—like the fingers of an out-stretched hand—so the witches can travel unnoticed through thecountryside.

Few people in the area know they have guardian witchesliving nearby, though there are occasional sightings of womencasting spells to aid merchants beset by bandits. The WhiteWitches have gone out of their way to remain hidden. The witch-es believe they can do more good if they pick their causes ratherthan have numerous people seek them out for help with trivialmatters.

Membership in the White Witches of Hobb Hill is veryselective. The White Witches only add new members to thecoven when one of their number dies or decides to move on—

and both are relatively rare occurrences. The new member isselected from various white witches the group has taken note ofin the area. To this end, the covens are always scrying on theirweave sisters to keep an eye out for potential candidates. Theselected witch does not face any trials, as is common in manyother arcane organizations as the covens have been watching herlong enough to know her capabilities.

Because the White Witches of Hobb Hill are familiar withothers of the weave, they are apt to contact a player characterwitch—either asking her to join them, or asking that she under-take a mission for them. The White Witches of Hobb Hill areloath to leave this part of the world, so when they need rare spellcomponents from the far north or the far south, and so they seekothers to obtain them. If a PC is contacted for a mission, she isnot likely to personally meet one of the White Witches. Theyinstead most likely contact her through her dreams, impartingcryptic messages.

In addition, PCs of another weave might be asked to findthe White Witches of Hobb Hill. Though the common folk of thearea do not know about the witches, powerful black and graycovens do—and some of their members covet the magic theWhite Witches command. These covens would pay considerablegold to the PCs for a map to the White Witches’ home. The PCscould also be asked to gain spellbooks or to find the precise loca-tion of a Hobb Hill coven. Unfortunate PCs could even be forcedby black covens to gather this information.

WITCHES OF THE GROVELittle is known of this gathering of witches, except that

there are thirty or forty of them living somewhere in the denseforest along the coast of the Sea of Janar. They are evil witchesof the black weave who shun society in favor of nature, and theyare reputed to be researching magic with the goal of bringing all"civilized" society to an end.

Members of white and brown covens have ventured into thegreat forest looking for the Witches of the Grove, hoping to spyon them, as all scrying attempts have been unsuccessful. Theirspying efforts have proven just as fruitless, however; as thecovens have only located the evil witches’ cold campfires andremnants of dried herbs they possibly used as spell components.Still, the covens continue to look for the Witches of the Grove,hoping to stop them before they find the devastating magic theyseek.

Sages believe a male witch named Dorthran Lockwoodformed the group nearly three decades ago. A trio of brownwitches recently discovered Lockwood’s corpse, and the manappeared to have died of old age. No one knows who currentlyleads the Witches of the Grove.

White or brown witches might hire the player characters toventure into the forest in search of the Witches of the Grove.Low-level adventurers might only be asked to gather informationon the witches, while high-level characters might be asked togather information and even kill them. Additionally, PCs travel-ing through the great forest could encounter these witches, anddepending on the encounter’s outcome, they could gain a ratherdangerous foe.

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The world of Myrra holds many opportuni-ties for witches from the various weaves toadventure in search of power and spells. The fol-lowing section contains several hooks that canbe fleshed out into adventures and each GMcan adjust the challenges and/or addencounters to meet the needs and powerlevel of the player characters in her owngroup. Many of the hooks include italicizedtext that can be read to the players to drawtheir characters into the adventure.

1. Quest for the ShardsLegend says that long, long ago in

Myrra there was an arthion witch namedSyrrian. Her coven, called theEnlightened, possessed a large cauldronmade of quartzia known as Talusar’s Vessel.It was said to have healing properties, as wellas the ability to show the past and foreshadowthe future. Because of this, it is whispered thatSyrrian’s was the most powerful coven in Myrra.

Other covens, as well as mundane thieves,tried to steal Talusar’s Vessel a number of times.But the Enlightened coven was always able to pro-tect it until a group of black witches united to wagewar against them. The war lasted for ten years andthe Enlightened lost, most members being killedduring the struggle. When the war was over andthe Enlightened defeated, LaClaire, leader of theblacks, approached Talusar’s Vessel, admiring it.Drawing her antheme, she touched the stoneblade to it. The quartzia rang like a bell.Unable to withstand its mighty reverberations,LaClaire and many of her coven were killedoutright. What’s more, the sound from thecauldron caused earthquakes, volcanic erup-tions, and landslides. The face of Myrrachanged. In the end, reacting to its ownsounds, the cauldron shattered.

But it is said that the shards remained,some of the magical essence of the cauldronlingering amid the bits. If a witch were tofind one of these shards, and use it wisely,who knows what power could be har-nessed?

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Occasionally, some momentous event happens in Myrra thatcauses one or more groups to try to find some of Talusar’s Vessel’sshards. This time, it’s an epidemic with no known cure. Manybrown healer witches have exhausted themselves trying to help,but the situation is getting worse. People fear for their lives.

So a brown dythane named Shirri summons the individualsshe feels are best suited to this purpose, a mixed group, to help.Shirri includes her own favorite student, a burala archon namedReynalda, and charges her with seeking out a group of adventurersshe has seen in her dreams.

Reynalda is to lead the group into the northernmost moun-tains to find Syrrian’s ancient retreat. The approach to Syrrian’sretreat is through an old mine where the quartzia, which Talusar’sVessel is made of, was originally found. It has not been workedfor some time and it is believed LaClaire’s coven booby-trapped itduring the war. In addition, set into rock by powerful black witch-es, a number of spells also still exist, twisted even more by thepassage of time and unrenewed intent. These spells may have alsowarped whatever came to live in the mine in the last few centuries.

If the adventurers can get through, they find themselves on alarge stone platform with a breathtaking view above a sheer dropinto a valley that slumped as the cauldron shattered. There areruins of the Enlightened coven’s settlement both above and below.The group must search through these ruins, then make their way tothe rubble below to look for shards. Pieces of the Vessel mighteven be embedded in surrounding granite. One of the things theadventurers have to look out for is rock chucks, fuzzy brown andyellow marmots that don’t like trespassers on what they considertheir property. They do just as their name implies: hide behindboulders and chuck rocks at enemies. Giant rock chucks can bereally dangerous, not only for hurling boulders, but because theyoften inadvertently start avalanches.

2. The Bane Bell of KhialasMirelle the Bard has discovered record of a magical bell hav-

ing the power to halt negative-energy spells and she requests per-mission from her arthion to go find it. The arthion gives her bless-ing, and tells Mirelle to collect a group to help. Mirelle choosestwo fellow witches from her coven, the Celestial Sounds. The restare to be adventurers of mixed races and abilities.

To get to the Temple of Renj’Sara-lith, where Mirellebelieves the bell is located, they must cross the desert badlands.The badlands are a place of bizarre rock outcroppings sculpturedby wind and peculiar hard, pale mud formations seemingly alwayschanged by the rainy season, deep inside the Aranni Desert. Themud has strata made of certain kinds of minerals that are known tooften cause spells spoken there to go awry. It is also a place ofextreme heat during day, dropping to extreme cold at night. Theseconditions make the temple’s denizens very odd. At night, someanimals and insects are attracted to warm bodies and visitors to theregion can wake up with unwelcome bedfellows.

The temple is located on the plain beyond the badlands,where it is speculated that the region’s remoteness and lack oflarge trees makes it an excellent place for observing the moon.The witch the adventurers find at the temple is called ArthionAgniss. She and two tyros take care of the temple and make nota-tions about moon phases and Agniss is happy to give the adventur-ers a tour. There is no bell on the premises. When asked about it,

Agniss says, "You will hear when the Goddess turns," and they dothat night, a haunting, deep sound, melodious and mournful, thatflows away across the plain and echoes off the cliffs of theBadlands.

When the group begins searching for the bell after this event,they discover some unusual things in the temple, but, again, nobell. This mystery deepens and Mirelle becomes even more deter-mined to get to the bottom of it.. She finally calls her fellow musi-cal witches together, and the three begin playing in an attempt tofind the Bane Bell of Khialas while the other adventurers are freeto pursue their own avenues. But ultimately, the bell responds tothe musical witches and their music, and the adventurers discoverthat the temple itself is the bell.

3. Of Ancient Palaces"It was near the beginning of the world," the old sage begins,

"when there were palaces filled with more wealth than can befound shining today in the entire world." Sitting cross-legged on apillow atop a crate, lecturing from his favourite spot in the Kar-Karmarketplace, the old man doesn’t seem very remarkable, exceptperhaps for the three thin green snakes draped around his neck, thelongest one hissing when the man let out a deep sigh.

The old sage twirls his gnarled fingers and suddenly spring-ing up in the air before him is a translucent image of an impressivebuilding with platinum-tinged minarets, mother-of-pearl inlaiddomes, and cut-glass windows of the finest colored crystal.Everything glistens, and the image draws " oooohs" and "aahhhhs"from the onlookers. The children are especially fascinated.

"One such ancient palace was near here," he continues. "Andwere I a young man with strength of back, I would dig until Ifound it. Were I a young man who was strong in the weave, Iwould certainly pursue it. But I am not a young man. Only mymind has remained strong, and my magicks are limited to simpleillusions and snake-charms." He drones on with his tale, of thePalace of jawnee W’ler’en, locking eyes with you, urging you tostep closer with his eyes. His gaze never leaving yours, hinting thatthere is something else to his story—something he’ll not tell thesecommoners. As the tale continues, the snakes slide from his neckand weave back and forth on their tails before the audience. Awaggle of his finger and they grow longer and change color. Thecrowd "ooohs" and "aaahhhs" again. Then the snakes become thinand green and slither back up ‘round his neck.

"Until tomorrow," he says, bowing his head to the crowd.A few in the crowd toss him coins as they drift away, but his

eyes beg you to stay for a time.The old storyteller beckons any interested PCs to follow him

into a nearby alley. Here he finds another crate, and slowly easinghimself onto it, he addresses the witch or witches in the group. Hesays he can sense that the weave runs through them, and that theywould have the best chance to find the Palace of jawnee W’ler’enof any he has met in some time. Besides, his wife—dead manyyears—was a witch, and he feels dealing with a witch would honorher memory. He has a map, a very old one that is very difficult toread. He doesn’t carry it on him, claiming it is too valuable, and hefears pickpockets. But he is willing to trade it to the PCs, inexchange for a small share in the wealth they obtain from theburied palace, perhaps even just a few ancient trinkets—oh, and upfront, a magical item that would allow him to fly. He is an old man

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and is having trouble walking and neither his snakes, nor his illu-sionist spells, can help him move easier.

If the PCs accept his offer, and they pursue the lost treasure,the old man agrees to meet them in a very public place and tradethe map for the magical flying device and a promise of some treas-ure when they find the palace. The map appears very old, genuine,and indeed is difficult to read because the years have worn awaythe ink. The PCs will need help reading the map, either magicallyor by visiting a library to find another sage or historian (whichcould be another adventure in itself). A little extra research on thePCs’ part reveals that there was a jawnee named W’ler’en, thoughno one knew he lived in this area. Still, he likely had at least onemanse or palace, as he was reputed to be very rich.

The old sage’s wife was of the brown weave, and she diedalmost twenty years ago. The sage seems to be respected by folksin the area and he is telling the truth about the map, which hefound among his wife’s belongings, and the jawnee palace (as heknows it).

Once the PCs get the map fully deciphered, they may begintheir treasure-hunting expedition. The map really does give direc-tions to an old ruin, but it’s not a jawnee palace. It turns outW’ler’en really didn’t live around here after all. The ruin the PCsare unwittingly heading to once belonged to one of the very firstwitches of the black weave.

One of the snakes around the old sage’s neck is actually ablack witch named Lorlotho. And though she is powerful enoughto shapechange and to enspell the storyteller (she planted thejawnee palace notion in his head and slipped him the map), shedoesn’t think she has the power to venture into the ruin alone—orat least she doesn’t want to risk it, nor, of course, does her wish torisk her own hide entering the ruins. Her plan is for the PCs to findthe old ruin, enter it and deal with any monsters or spirits thatmight be inhabiting it, and then recover the treasure. Lorlothointends to strike when they are sorely wounded after a fight or aresleeping, but if she can’t catch them at a weak time, she’ll use hershapechanging ability to secretly follow them and steal from themwhen they split up or are otherwise at a disadvantage. If the PCsare very lucky, they’ll catch and defeat her. If they’re merely lucky,she’ll get away with some of the black weave baubles that theyrecover, and they’ll keep their lives.

The ruin can be as large or as simple as the game masterdesires. It shouldn’t be easy to get to, however, and it should besprinkled with magical traps. What’s in the ruin? An old tome thatrecounts the beginning of the black weave. In addition to beinginteresting, it would be quite valuable to various covens or gather-ings of any color. There are also old potions and powders amongother various trinkets, most of that have lost their potency, andsome cursed items to be certain. There should also be a few of thefirst enchanted items created by "black" magic. Unless the PCs areof the black weave, they’ll likely want to destroy at least some ofthe things they find.

If the PCs survive and make their way back to confront theold sage, they’ll discover that he has two green snakes around hisneck—and he doesn’t recall anything about an old Jawnee palace,an ancient map or even the adventurers themselves.

4. Dead WoodAs a member of the brown weave, you feel a special close-

ness to nature and that closeness has been the source of a consider-able amount of pain lately. You have horrible nightmares that keepyou from a proper sleep, and because of that your magical abilitiesare diminished. You’ve discovered that other brown witches youknow share your discomfort and one of them believes she knowsthe source of the trouble. She’s learned that the woods northeast ofCrane’s Rest are dying. She’s certain that if something isn’t doneto stop it, the forests throughout all of Myrra could be doomed aswell.

In response to this threat, witches of the brown weave aresending delegations to all the region’s woodlands. Your coven hasbeen selected to travel to the source of the problem and you aretasked with gathering a band of skilled adventurers, including atleast one witch of another color to offset your diminished power.The fate of Myrra’s forests—perhaps the fate of the entire world—could very well rest in your hands.

For the duration of the adventure, PC brown witches anddruids can cast only half the number of spells they normally wouldbe allowed, and their familiars operate at one-half hit points.Furthermore, they are troubled by dark, shapeless visions duringthe day and suffer from similar nightmares when they try to sleep.

There is indeed a big problem in the woods northeast ofCrane’s Rest—and witches are at the bottom of it. The ShatteredCircle, a gathering comprised of witches who were cast out of vari-ous covens, is seeking revenge against an arm of the Singers of theSouthwest Wind (see Chapter 8 for more information on theseorganizations). They have managed to slay seven members of aneight-member coven in the woodlands in question, and they wereon their way to finding the last witch when they came across thecoven’s treasure. Amid the magical knickknacks was a cursed itemfrom Myrra’s ancient past—a scaled globe that was created by aDraconis sorcerer to be used as a threat to cow the jawnee. Thesorcerer never intended to use the device, and it was buried withhim when he died. The device is a devourer, and it feeds on theland, channeling the energy it gains into its wielder. The coven ofthe Singers of the Southwest Wind had been safeguarding thedevourer since it was discovered decades ago, all the while thecoven here was researching how to safely destroy it. The witcheswere nearly onto the proper method when the Shattered Circlestruck.

Even the members of the Shattered Circle realized that theitem was terrible and not to be used, so they tucked away all theirother prizes, and one of the Circle members was elected to destroythe devourer. The witch was unsuccessful, and rather than breakingthe horrid device, she accidentally activated it. The devourer beganto drink the life out of the forest, and the remaining members ofthe Shattered Circle fled south.

The unlucky witch has effectively become the devourer’swielder, and as such, the energy drained from the forest is beingfed into her. This is far more power than she can handle, and shehas been driven mad by it. She is now wandering aimlessly, thedevourer drinking life as she goes.

The PCs can easily locate the dead woods. It looks as ifeverything has been burned, but there is no sign and no scent offire. There are insect husks, animal skeletons, and blackened treesand bushes, and there are footprints. The PCs can follow the foot-

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prints and learning that the many people in the group traveledsouth (the fleeing Shattered Circle members). The tracks indicatethat only one person traveled north (the unfortunate witch). Theycan also find the corpses of the Singers of the Southwest Windcoven, possibly even locating the lone surviving Singer. If they do,she tells the PCs of the devourer and what is going on. She canalso provide the coven’s research about the ancient cursed device.

The PCs must locate the devourer and its mad wielder andstop them before it is too late. The wielder is powerful and shouldprovide quite a challenge, and when they finally best her, the PCsmust then content with the devourer itself. With hard work and abit of luck, the PCs should be able to finish the coven’s researchand find a way to destroy the device. Should they fail at this, theycould seek help from the surviving Singer to discover a way toshut evil relic down for a little while until another coven of Singerscan take over. Either way, once the devourer is dealt with, the PCswill then be asked by the Singers to help tear down the dead forestand replant the woods.

What do the PCs get for all their work? Perhaps an offer tojoin the Singers of the Southwest Wind. Perhaps a few trinkets themad witch carried. Any PC brown witches and druids might getalso receive a special reward, such as being granted the ability tocast an extra 1st level spell each day—something to compensatefor their loss of power during the adventure.

5. Children of the WeaveThe Natatorium, high in the mountains, has a small favor to

ask of you: take a half-dozen young witches on a field trip of sorts.The headmistress wants the youngsters to learn firsthand just whatadventuring is all about—the rigors of mountain climbing, forag-ing for food, searching for treasure, and dealing with the threat ofan unnatural beast or two. The school has been watching your bandfor quite some time, and think you would make perfect adventur-ing instructors. The pay is good, and you will be rewarded with thechance to do some research in the Natatorium’s famed library.

If the PCs agree, the students are put under the authority ofwhichever party members are witches. The highest-level PC in theparty is told that one of the instructors will be following at a safedistance, to keep an eye on things, to come to the student-witches’aid if necessary, and to grade the students.

Of course, things aren’t quite what they seem. While theheadmistress is sincere, as she has been sending students out withadventurers for quite a few years, the teacher who selected the stu-dents for this outing is not an entirely honest soul. She is a graywitch who has been paid very well to help get rid of one particularstudent. The student is a 15-year-old girl of the white weave, whois the chosen heir to a substantial estate. Her remaining parent isquite ill, and is not expected to live out the year. If the girl dies, theheir becomes her older cousin, a man who is secretly a blackwitch, and who craves the estate and the gold. The black witchapproached the teacher, paid her well, and directed the teacher toset him up with an opportunity to kidnap the girl-heir. The blackwitch actually intends to kill the girl—and the gray witch instruc-tor, too, so, in the end, there will be no one alive to tell the tale ofhis foul deeds.

The GM should throw a few monstrous creatures the PCs’way, and should present several natural hazards to test the PCs andthe students. The gray witch teacher can increase these challenges

by casting spells to cause rockslides and by summoning anenchanted beast or two. There might even be a cave to explore thatholds some amount of danger and maybe a bit of treasure.

The black witch responsible for the plot will strike while thePCs are involved in a battle. He’ll take out the unaware gray witchfirst, and then he’ll go after the girl-heir. It is possible he’ll be suc-cessful without anyone discovering his evil acts, and in that case,the PCs may be tasked with discovering that the girl’s death is amurder. Upon learning this, the headmistress insists they find thekiller and save the reputation of the Natatorium.

6. The VanishingsThirteen witches, a coven of the gray weave, were south of

Bixbee gathering herbs for a special ritual. It was an annual event,this harvest, but it was one they did not come back from this year.You have no special ties to this group, and you do not know any ofthe members. But you’ve taken it upon yourself to investigate. It’sin your own best interest, really.

This isn’t the first coven that’s gone missing.There was one last year, of the brown weave, though that

was at the northern edge of the great desert. Another thirteenwitches.

Four years before that, a coven of grays from the southeastmountains.

It cannot be coincidence. It could very well happen again. Ifyou can discover the truth behind the vanishings, you could per-haps prevent the loss of more covens. You could even be savingyourselves.

This adventure works especially well if the PCs are all mem-bers of a coven, as the other NPC coven members will be nervous,possibly prodding them on to investigate matters. It is also appro-priate if any PC is a coven member or works with a coven.

The vanishings are all related, though it takes a bit of diggingon the PCs’ part to find the link. It could also involve them travel-ing to Bixbee, the great desert, and even the far-off DragonspineMountains—depending on if the GM wants them to do some conti-nent-crossing or not.

All the missing covens were gathering components for anannual ritual honoring the three phases of Myrra’s moon. The com-ponents included the herbs from near Bixbee, mountain moss fromthe southeast peaks, and scorpion husks from the desert. Thecovens had gathered all the materials for their respective spells,and they performed the rituals. But something went awry in eachcase, and all of it related to the moon.

If the PCs search the area where the gray coven recently van-ished, they can find tracks, belongings, and even remnants of thecomponents used in the ritual spell to honor the three phases of themoon. There are no traces of the witches beyond the circle wherethey performed the ritual. Clearly, they vanished. However, if thePCs continue their search during the evening hours when the moonis out, they see ghostly images of the thirteen, and it appears thatthe witches are trying to communicate.

The PCs must rely on divination spells or will have to speakwith the plants and animals in the area to figure out what hap-pened. The ‘ghosts’ can also provide some clues if necessary. TheGM might also want to throw in wandering beasts or real, unrelat-ed ghosts, to spice things up.

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In the end, diligence yields this: the gray coven gathered thecomponents and performed the ritual. As the last word was spoken,the witches shimmered, became insubstantial, then they simply dis-appeared. Of course, even the most novice witches can determinethat the ritual was performed correctly, so what happened?

It was all a matter of timing and the PCs have to look to themoon for the answers. In each of the months that the covens van-ished, there were two full moons—blue moons as they’re called.The witches performed the ritual during the first full moon.Therein is where and why the magic went wrong. The ritual doesnot take into account that there will be two full moons. The magicof the earth-goddess that is still imbedded in the moon reacted tothe ritual incantation in an unpredictable way . . . it tried to drawthe witches toward the moon, clearly an impossible thing. And sothe witches were instead drawn out of sync with Myrra, where theyfloat in a misty place between worlds, and if the PCs cannot drawthem back relatively soon, they will dissipate.

Meeting with other witches, talking to sages, and relying onmore divination magic and the like should yield the PCs a spellthat will set things right. The covens lost in earlier years cannot beretrieved, but there is still hope for the lost gray witches. Once allis said and done, the PCs will have uncovered something of impor-tance to all witches of Myrra—that moon magic during those raremonths with two full moons is unpredictable and dangerous, andperhaps should be avoided. If there are material rewards to begained for their efforts, they will come from the witches in thegray coven that PCs rescue.

7. Fragment of the EarthThere are whispers in the black markets of Myrra’s cities that

something very valuable will soon be put up for sale. There is talkamong sages that it is something of great historical and magicalnote. The most powerful of Myrra’s witches shudder at thisprospect—for to them, something in these whispers seems horriblywrong. They’ve cast great divination spells that reveal that theobject is a piece of an eggshell, and they can feel the aura of theEarth-Goddeess upon it. Many believe it is a piece of the egg thatonce cocooned the Goddess; she who brought witch-magic toMyrra.

Your group is one of several sent in search of the merchantwho carries this shell. It cannot fall into a commoner’s hand, orworse, a noble’s hand. Neither should anyone else possess it—thefragment holds too much power. The fragment must be returned tothe earth, and only the hands of a witch can see it safely returnedto the soil.

The PCs’ mission is simple, though terribly difficult: obtainthe egg fragment and bury it as deeply as possible. They’ll have torely on their own divination spells, black market contacts, and a lotof footwork to come up with needed clues. In addition, they’ll facea rival group of young black witches who want to gain the shellfragment for their own sinister purposes. After a lot of work, andprobably a fight or two, the PCs can discover the fragment is head-ed to Spool, where it is to be put up for auction along with a vari-ety of other antiquities. The merchant—on his way to Spool at thatvery moment—doesn’t know what he has. He purchased it withsome other baubles from an elderly woman (a gray witch), whohas since died. How she came by it, and why she sold it to themerchant, is a mystery left for another adventure. For now, the

shell’s fate is most important.The merchant knows that the fragment is incredibly flexible,

yet unbreakable, radiates an amazing amount of magic, and that hefeels both strong and calm when he holds it. He has entertained thenotion of keeping the fragment for himself, but word of it hasleaked out, and he fears someone might try to kill him for it. Hebelieves it is better to be rid of it . . . and why not make a good bitof money in the process?

The merchant has a cadre of guards, and he is a reasonablefighter himself. It will be extremely difficult for the PCs to simplytake the shell from him. Depending on their available resources,they might be able to buy it, or offer him spells, magic and/or theirservice for a time for the relic. Brute force could work, under theright conditions, though it could well stain the PCs’ reputations.The merchant is not an evil man, and once the PCs do manage toobtain the shell, they’ll still have to deal with other folks who wantit.

Once they obtain the egg shell, it will be up to the PCs tohide the fragment and to find an inaccessible place to bury it—atask that very well could be a separate adventure unto itself. If thePCs entertain the notion of keeping it, they soon find that they areforever hounded by others who want to possess a piece of theEarth-Goddess shell.

As for the adventurer’s reward—keeping the fragment fromfalling into the wrong hands should suffice to most witches andrenowned heroes. But for those of a more practical bent, there isalways the chance to acquire gold and other trinkets from thosewho would have the relic for their own selfish purposes.

8. The Phryniss Amulet

Valancy Choreas, dythane and arthion of a white coven, hasadvertised for a group of fighter/adventurers to assist in a rescue.It seems a jeweler named Khalsori Denyon has served many of thewitches in the south of Kerst County for many years. She is notonly highly regarded because her designs are beautiful, but alsobecause her stones seem to be more powerful than most. Khalsoriherself was a diaras tyro (a young witch of the first level, seconddegree--see (see Chapter 7 for more details), which has an impacton the items she makes. Everyone in the region who is knowl-edgeable in the Craft is devastated to learn that Khalsori recentlydisappeared from her studio, apparently while making a complicat-ed jewel for Valancy.

When the PCs arrive, Valancy explains the situation. Shehad come into possession of a stone called the Phyrniss Amulet.This powerful gold and orange transparent cornuli, the size of awoman's palm, is said to rule fire. Valancy had been laboring foryears to keep the amulet out of the possession of a very aggressiveblack arthion--Gaia of StormMarch.

Valancy had succeeded well until she took the amulet toKhalsori to be cooled by a silver setting. Apparently Khalsori wasin the process of settling the amulet by winding a complicatedbraided bezel around it when she was interrupted. For some rea-son, Valancy's vitke, Reia Shinesmore, whom she had sent to guardthe jeweler while the amulet was being set, did not see the attackcoming. The vitke was found senseless on Khalsori's threshold bya brown witch visiting to pick up her own new jeweled pentacle.

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Only the jeweler, her canid familiar, and the Phyrniss Amuletwere missing.

Khalsori's chair was overturned and several tools were scat-tered across her

worktable and on the floor. Other than vitke Shinesmore,who awakened almost powerless and with a horrible headache, noone saw anyone arrive or leave. Past experience with the blackwitch has taught Valancy that her opponent is nothing if not subtle.Gaia is likely to have a multiple-layered plan in process, the mostobvious part of it being a diversion to disguise her true intention.And that turns out to be awakening the nearby volcano so that alllocal trade is diverted through StormMarch, her demesne. If shesucceeds with this plan, it will make her a very wealthy and pow-erful woman.

The PCs must trace Gaia through the hills west of Hobb Hill,and into the southern spur of the Western Leonor Mountains to thevery foot of the dormant volcano, which is now stirring to life dueto the amulet’s influence. They must find a way to cool the lavaand save the nearby villages now in its path, as well as subdueGaia. Finding Khalsori and her familiar, hopefully alive, is yetanother worthy goal. Should the PCs succeed with these goals,they will gain witchly influence, personal power and prestige withthe local communities. In addition, Valancy offers a small horde ofbespelled gemstones.

Sample Characters

L’AERYN GEHLD

Birth Place: BixbeeSex: Female Race: HumanClass: Witch (Solis)Level: 3Strength: 10 (0)Dexterity: 12 (+1)Constitution: 12 (+1)Intelligence: 11 (0)Wisdom: 17 (+3)Charisma: 13 (+1)Alignment: CGHD: 3d8+6Hit Points: 19AC: 12 (+1 bracers of armor, +1 Dex)Speed: 30 ft.Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex)Fort Save: +4Ref Save: +2Will Save: +6Melee Attack Bonus: +2 Ranged Attack Bonus: +3Weapons: dagger (1d4, crit 19-20/x2) light mace (1d6), lightcrossbow (1d8, crit 19-20/x2)Class Features: attract, combine, create focus, familiar (not calledyet), iron susceptibility, witch codeFeats: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Toughness.Skills: Concentration +3, Craft (witch tools) +2, Detect Familiar+4, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (nature) +3, Knowledge (witchcraft)

+3, Listen +3, Profession (sailor) +6, Ritual +6, Spot +3, Swim +2,Use Rope +3, Wilderness lore +5. Languages: CommonHeight: 5’4"Weight: 115Size: MediumAge: 23

Equipment: Blue robes, Book of Shadows, +1 bracers ofarmor, dagger, light crossbow, light mace, potion of cure lightwounds (x2), quiver with 20 bolts, wand of summon monster I (1stlevel caster; 21 charges).

Witch Spells Per Day (6/6; DC 13 + spell level): 0th — cre-ate water, cure minor wounds, detect poison, guidance, mending;1st — cure light wounds, endure elements, summon monster I.

Money: 350 gp in gems, 57 gp in various coins.Appearance: L’aeryn stands 5 ft. 4 in. tall, and she wears

light blue robes. Her hair is a golden brown, and her eyes are asblue as the sea she loves so much. Her skin is tanned from expo-sure to the sun.

Personality: L’aeryn is a whimsical young woman in herearly twenties. She enjoys sailing and spending time with thosewho make their living on the high seas. She can be hot-tempered,and her language is often as colorful as that of the sailors shespends time with.

L’aeryn has not chosen to call her familiar at this time, as shehas little experience with caring for a living creature, and thethought scares her. She rationalizes that she roams too much toprovide a good home for a "pet." Time may change her viewpointon this topic.

History: Born in the port town of Bixbee 23 years ago to afemale tavern owner and a rugged seaman, L'aeryn Gehl is anintense, active and very independent young woman. Because hermother had little time for her, she became a "wharf rat" almost assoon as she could toddle. Seamen from ships in port "adopted" her,becoming her first teachers and friends.

L'aeryn is a Solis witch, a whimsical young woman wholoves telling stories. She enjoys sailing and spending time withthose who make their living on the high seas. Those rough menwho essentially raised her delighted in teaching her how to fightwell with the weapons she now carries. L’aeryn can be highlyopinionated, sometimes hot-tempered, and her language is often ascolorful as that of the sailors she prefers spending time with.

DAETLIN O’LYKIAD

Birth Place: SilvergladeSex: Female Race: Jawnee (elf)Class: Witch/White Witch (coven)Level: 6/3Strength: 11 (0)Dexterity: 18 (+4)Constitution: 11 (0)Intelligence: 12 (+1)Wisdom: 16 (+3)Charisma: 15 (+2)Alignment: NGHD: 9d8

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Hit Points: 40AC: AC 17 (+3 armor, +4 Dex)Speed: 30 ft.Initiative: +4 (+4 Dex)Fort Save: +8Ref Save: +7Will Save: +9Melee Attack Bonus: +9/+4 Ranged Attack Bonus: +11/+6Weapons: quarterstaff +2 (1d6+2), lights crossbow (1d8, crit 19-20/x2)Race Features: elf traits (see Chapter 3 of the PHB)Class Features: attract, create focus, combine, cure criticalwounds 2/day, iron susceptibility, owl familiar, resist nature’s lure,restoration 1/day, witch code, 1st circle magic 2/dayFeats: Brew Potion, Craft Wondrous Item, Foresight, PoisonResistance.Skills: Alchemy +5, Concentration +4, Craft (witch tools) +5,Detect Familiar +7, Detect Taint +7, Diplomacy +6, Harvest +6,Heal +15, Knowledge (divination) + 9, Knowledge (witchcraft) +5,Listen +3 (+5 when in contact with familiar), Move Silently +6(includes bonus due to familiar), Perform +3 (chant, flute, story-telling), Ritual + 12, Ride Broom +6, Spellcraft +4, SpeakLanguages +1, Spot +3 (+5 when in contact with familiar),Wilderness Lore +5. Languages: Celestial, Common, Jawnee (Elven).Height: 5’1"Weight: 120Size: MediumAge: 210

Equipment: White robes, Book of Shadows, bracelet offriends, +1 leather armor, +2 quarterstaff, dagger, light crossbow,quiver with 20 bolts, potion of cure light wounds (x3), potion ofcure serious wounds (3), witch’s broom, wand of web (3rd levelcaster; 27 charges).

Witch Spells (6/7/7/7/4; DC 13 + spell level): 0th — createwater, cure minor wounds, dancing lights, detect poison, flare,ghost sounds, guidance, resistance; 1st — bless, cure light wounds,harmony candle*, love identity candle*, protection from spirits*;2nd — blur, cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, enthrall; 3rd —neutralize poison, remove disease, Syrilla’s rose garden*; 4th —minor globe of invulnerability, summon monster IV.

*New spell, as described in Chapter 4 of this book.Money: 3,000 gp in assorted jewelry, 60 gp in various coins.Appearance: A silver-haired, frail jawnee woman of middle

years, Daetlin wears the white robes of her chosen color. Daetlinwears several pieces of hematite jewelry at all times, including ear-rings, bracelets, and a locket that contains a cord of her lost love’shair within.

Personality: Daetlin is very soft-spoken, and she strives todo what is right in life. When any coven member or villager issick, she gladly uses her magic to nurse them back to health, dedi-cating long hours to watching over them and helping to take careof menial tasks they are unable to handle, including babysitting.

Villagers and coven members think very highly of the gentlewoman. Others have only good things to say about her, and anywho know her would go out of their way to protect or help her.

Daetlin has a love of beautiful, hematite jewelry, and sheoften travels outside her village and coven to the larger townswhere she has other witch friends who craft more intricate pieces.

History: Born 210 years ago near Silverglade, Daetlin hasthe appearance of a silver-haired, frail-looking Jawnee woman ofmiddle years. She always wears spotless white robes of her chosenwitchly calling. Daetlin also wears several pieces of hematite jew-elry at all times, including earrings, bracelets, and a locket resem-bling the moon, which contains a cord of her lost love's hair lockedwithin.

Daetlin’s lost love was a powerful jawnee male vitke namedBrisalmnis. He was also strong in the art of diplomacy, and used itwherever he could make a difference. Only five years after theywere wed, Brisalmnis was killed trying to protect a young covenfrom mundane priests who stormed in during their first Circle,determined to burn them. Daetlin rushed to her love’s side andtried to revive him, but it was too late. With his dying words hegifted her with his familiar, a white hart, and urged her to continuethe fight for good everywhere. The jawnee witch almost didn’tsurvive her love-partner’s death and she lay listless in tears formany months, accompanied only by his familiar, before they bothrecovered.

The Snowy Knoll Coven, to which Daetlin belongs, thinksvery highly of this gentle woman. She and her hart, Tirasa, have atendency to appear anywhere there is trouble or sickness, whetheror not they have been called for.

Tirasa wears a collar of hematite disks around her whiteneck, set with a moon of the same stone; a twin to the one Daetlinwears in remembrance of Brisalmnis.

DRAVIKK THE WISE

Birth Place: The Aranni DesertSex: Male Race: Gruul (orc)Class: Witch/Gray Witch (Solis)Level: 6/6Strength: 13 (+1)Dexterity: 7 (-2)Constitution: 15 (+2)Intelligence: 10 (0)Wisdom: 20 (+5)Charisma: 11Alignment: LNHD: 12d8+24Hit Points: 78AC: 8 (-2 Dex)Speed: 15 ft. (club foot)Initiative: +2 (-2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)Fort Save: +12Ref Save: +4 (includes bonus due to familiar)Will Save: +15Melee Attack Bonus: +9/+4Ranged Attack Bonus: +6/+2 Weapons: quarterstaff (1d6+1), sling (1d4)Class Features: atonement 1/day, attract, create focus, combine,code of fairness, code of poverty, darkvision 60 ft., discern lies

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2/day, geas/quest 1/day, greater attraction, iron susceptibility,karmic balance, punish 1/day, resist nature’s lure, weasel familiar,1st circle magic 2/dayFeats: Color Conjunction, Greater Combine, Improved Initiative,Poison Resistance, Witch Sense.Skills: Alchemy +2, Concentration +5, Craft (witch tools) +4,Detect Familiar +7, Diplomacy +7, Gather Information +6, Heal+8, Handle Animal +3, Knowledge (geography) +3, Knowledge(history) +3, Knowledge (religion) +6, Knowledge (witchcraft) +6,Listen +5 (+7 when in contact with familiar), Ritual +11, Scry +2,Sense Motive +9, Spot +5 (+7 when in contact with familiar). Languages: Common, Gruul (Orc)Height: 5’7"Weight: 155Size: MediumAge: 43

Equipment: Two gray robes, Book of Shadows, quarterstaff,sling, 10 sling bullets, wooden cane, and pouch.

Witch Spells (6/8/7/7/7/6/3; DC 15 + spell level): 0th — cre-ate water, cure minor wounds, daze, detect poison, flare, guidance,inflict minor wounds, mage hand, resistance; 1st — animal friend-ship, bless, charm person, hypnotism, sleep; 2nd— cat’s grace,cure moderate wounds, darkness, suggestion, summon monster II;3rd — body of eyes*, cure serious wounds, inflict serious wounds,lesser geas; 4th — divination, enervation, summon monster IV;5th— commune, contact other plane; 6th — globe of invulnerabili-ty.

*New spell, as described in Chapter 4 of this book.Money: 5 sp.Appearance: Dravikk stands 5 ft. 7 in. tall, and he is middle

aged. He wears the gray robes, and his head is completely bald.Dravikk was born with a clubfoot, and thus he moves very slowlyand often walks with a cane.

Personality: An unlikely witch, the gruul Dravikk takes hiscalling very seriously. He favors none, and he practices his vow ofpoverty to the extreme (see his meager possessions list). Dravikkcarries little because he knows that the Goddess will provide forhis needs.

Not as learned as most gray witches, Dravikk prefers to con-centrate on his role as arbiter, traveling the lands to assist thosecovens and Solis who need his skills and wisdom.

History: Dravikk is an unusual witch of the gruul (orc) race.At 43, he is in his middle age, and hails originally from a tinytown called Altuek, which eludes most mapmakers (it is located farto the south, just along the southeast edge of the Aranni Desert).Born with a clubfoot, Dravikk moves very slowly and with a pro-nounced limp. When not leaning on his quarterstaff, he sometimeshe walks with a cane.

Dravikk was an outcast from his family, both because of hisphysical deformity, and also because he demonstrated witchly ten-dencies at an early age. Despite his gruul heritage, Dravikk isbeginning to build a reputation across Myrra as a fair, but firmjudge. He carries little with him because he knows that theGoddess will provide for his needs and he claims that the Goddess,the moon, and the companionship of his familiar, provide him withall the riches he requires

Dravikk always wears the gray robes of his witchly beliefand his head is completely bald. His brown-black eyes are shrewdand very calculating. His familiar is a weasel named Sauvan, whooften appears at gatherings where Dravikk is adjudicator toannounce his master’s imminent arrival. He prefers the life of aSolis witch, favoring none and claiming no coven. He learnsquickly, which has stood him in good stead in his calling.

GRENALLA JOSENN

Birth Place: Spool?Sex: Female Race: HumanClass: Witch/Brown Witch (coven)Level: 6/6Strength: 13 (+1)Dexterity: 14 (+2)Constitution: 10 (0)Intelligence: 12 (+1)Wisdom: 18 (+4)Charisma: 17 (+3)Alignment: NHD: 12d8Hit Points: 54AC: 16 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)Speed: 30 ft.Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)Fort Save: +10Ref Save: +6Will Save: +14Melee Attack Bonus: +9/+4Ranged Attack Bonus: +10/+5Weapons: quarterstaff +2 (1d6+3), light crossbow (1d8, crit 19-20/x2)Class Features: attract, call ally 2/day, create focus, combine,hawk familiar, iron susceptibility, nature sense, resist nature’s lure,trackless step, wild shape 2/day, witch code, woodland stride, 1stcircle magic 2/dayFeats: Animal Companion, Black Sight, Craft Fetish, CraftWondrous Item, Immunity, Witch’s Broom.Skills: Alchemy +5, Animal Empathy, Concentration +3, Climb+7, Craft (witch tools) +5, Detect Familiar +5, Detect Taint +5,Diplomacy +5, Heal +9, Handle Animal +12, Harvest +9, IntuitDirection +13, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (religion) +5,Knowledge (witchcraft) +5, Listen +9 (+11 when in contact withfamiliar), Ritual +10, Ride Broom +7, Spellcraft +3, Spot +7 (+9when in contact with familiar), Wilderness Lore +10. Languages: Common, Jawnee (Elven)Height: 5’2"Weight: 190Size: MediumAge: 49

Equipment: Brown robes, Book of Shadows, ring of waterwalking, +2 leather armor, +2 quarterstaff, dagger, light crossbow,quiver + 20 bolts, backpack, potion of cure light wounds (x3),potion of swimming, witch broom’s.

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Animal Companions: Grenella keeps a black bear, a wolf,and numerous birds as animal companions (up to 24 HD worth).

Witch Spells (6/7/7/7/7/5/3; DC 14 + spell level): 0th — cre-ate water, cure minor wounds, daze, detect poison, flare, guidance,mage hand, mending, resistance; 1st — calm animals, endure ele-ments, obscuring mist, sleep, summon nature’s ally I; 2nd — bull’sstrength, cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, hold animal, speakwith animals;

3rd — charm monster, cure serious wounds, meld into stone,summon monster III; 4th — air walk, control water, summon mon-ster IV; 5th — hold monster, summon monster V; 6th — flesh tostone.

Money: 250 gp in gems, 65 gp in various coins.Appearance: Grenella is a short, portly woman of middle

years. She wears brown robes, and her hair is prematurely gray.Personality: Although a coven witch, Grenella keeps mostly

to herself, preferring the company of her animal friends and thewilderness to other people. She is not concerned about matters ofgood and evil, and she only intervenes in such struggles when thewilderness she cares about is at stake. Otherwise, she does not liketo be bothered, and she only comes back to "civilization" forimportant coven meetings.

History: Grenella is a short, portly woman of 49 years. It isbelieved she was born somewhere near Spool, but this isn’t certain,and she never admits to birthplace or parents. (There is a rumorthat she came from a noble family in Spool, but this has neverbeen substantiated).

VAKAL

Birth Place: UnknownSex: Female Race: Sea HagClass: Witch/Black Witch (Solis)Level: 6/6Strength: 22 (+6)Dexterity: 14 (+2)Constitution: 13 (+1)Intelligence: 12 (+1)Wisdom: 22 (+6)Charisma: 8 (-1)Alignment: CEHD: HD 3d8+3 plus 12d8+12Hit Points: 119AC: AC 17 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex, +3 natural, -1 size)Speed: 30 ft., swim 40 ft.Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)Fort Save: +14Ref Save: +10Will Save: +21Melee Attack Bonus: +23/+18/+13/+8Ranged Attack Bonus: +19/+14/+7/+4Weapons: claws (1d4+6), light crossbow (1d8, crit 19-20/x2)Class Features: attract, create focus, combine, destructive essence,essence drain 2/day, harm 2/day, inflict critical wounds 2/day,familiar (not currently summoned), iron susceptibility, karmic bal-ance, resist nature’s lure, summon darkness 6/day, 1st circle magic2/day

Racial Features: evil eye, horrific appearance, SR 14, water breathingFeats: Alertness, Color Conjunction, Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Forge Ring, Poison Resistance, Witch Sense.Skills: Bluff +9, Concentration +6, Craft (witch tools) +6, DetectTaint +16, Hide +8, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (nature) +4,Knowledge (religion) +6, Knowledge (witchcraft), Ritual +15,Scry +11, Sense Motive +16. Languages: Common, InfernalHeight: 7’10"Weight: 310Size: LargeAge: 253

Equipment: +3 ring of protection, ring of x-ray vision, dag-ger, light crossbow, quiver with 12 bolts, Book of Shadows, crystalball, wand of cure moderate wounds (5th level caster; 13 charges).

Witch Spells (6/8/8/7/7/7/7/5/3; DC 16 + spell level): 0th —cure minor wounds, daze, detect poison, flare, guidance, inflictminor wounds, mage hand, mending, resistance; 1st — bane, causefear, charm person, command, doom; 2nd — blindness/deafness,bull’s strength, cure moderate wounds, hypnotic pattern, inflictmoderate wounds; 3rd — bestow curse, cure serious wounds, less-er geas, slow; 4th — dominate person, enervation, hold monster,summon monster IV; 5th — spell resistance, summon monster V;6th — etherealness, eyebite, flesh to stone; 7th — forcecage, trueseeing; 8th — mass charm.

Money: 2500 gp cache.Appearance: Vakal appears as a giant, misshapen woman

with dark features and a horrific appearance. She wears blackrobes.

Personality: Vakal is an infamous black witch, and sheenjoys bringing death and destruction to those who ply the seas.She commands several evil sea races, like the sahuagin, and sheuses them to effect destruction. To sailors, her name is a greatcurse, one that elicits fear and trembling at its mere mention. Thisfact amuses Vakal, and she would have it no other way.

History: Vakal was born to a couple who lived along therocky seacoast to the north of Dunmere. Her stern parents had asmall holding there and with them concentrating on making a mea-ger living, Vakal was allowed to run wild. Her witchly powerscame suddenly to her during her teens and she found she preferredto control situations and animals rather than assist them. She triedher powers several times on her parents; sometimes it worked,other times she was backhanded for wasting their time and makingthem do things they had no business doing. One day Vakal founda tidal cavern among the rocks, discovering there a handful ofcoins and several stoppered bottles with odd seals wrapped aroundtheir throats. Curious, she broke one open. The demon withinswarmed over her before escaping, and changed her appearanceinto that of the death-greedy hag and Vakal felt her powersincrease with her size. Not bothering to go home, she wrappedherself in her black shawl, and began immediately to use her coer-cion powers on passing ships. She amassed great wealth fromdoing so, and her powers grew.

At present, her favorite pastime is calling down suddenstorms on unsuspecting sailors, and running their vessels onto therocks of her home.

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Jasarl the Vitke

Birth Place: Greenrock Sex: Male Race: HumanClass: Witch/Vitke (coven)Level: 8/7Strength: 12 (+1)Dexterity: 15 (+2)Constitution: 14 (+2)Intelligence: 11 (0)Wisdom: 18 (+4)Charisma: 12 (+1)Alignment: NGHD: 15d8+33Hit Points: 100AC: 22 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +8 spirit armor)Speed: 30 ft.Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)Fort Save: +15 (includes stalwart bonus)Ref Save: +10 (includes stalwart bonus and Lightning Reflexes)Will Save: +19 (includes stalwart bonus and Iron Will)Melee Attack Bonus: +16/+10/+5Ranged Attack Bonus: +16/+10/+5Weapons: moonsword (1d10+2, crit 19-20/x2,), +1 light crossbow(1d8+1, crit 19-20/x2)Class Features: SQ attract, cat familiar, create focus, combine, fire resist-ance 30 (due to magic ring), planar sight, resist nature’s lure, spirit armor +8,stalwart, train tikarl, 1st circle magic 2/day, 2nd circle magic 2/dayFeats: Alertness, Coven Conjunction, Improved Initiative, IronWill, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (bastard sword).Skills: Concentration +12, Craft (witch tools) +5, Detect Familiar+9, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (nature) +5, Knowledge (theplanes) +6, Knowledge (religion) +5, Knowledge (witchcraft) +8,Listen +7, Move Silently +14 (includes bonuses from familiar andmagic boots), Ride Broom +10, Ritual +15, Scry +10, SenseMotive +9, Spellcraft +10, Spot +7, Tumble +7. Languages: Common.Height: 5’10"Weight: 168Size: MediumAge: 34

Equipment: Blue robes, Book of Shadows, +2 amulet of nat-ural armor, ring of elemental resistance major (fire), boots ofjawneekind (elvenkind), moonsword, dagger, +1 light crossbow,quiver with 20 bolts, book of shadows, witch’s broom, crystal ball,potion of cure serious wounds (x4).

Witch Spells Per Day (6/7/7/7/5/4/3/2; DC 14 + spell level):0th — create water, cure minor wounds, daze, detect poison, flare,guidance, inflict minor wounds, mage hand, resistance; 1st —cause fear, bless, cure light wounds, protection from spirits*, sum-mon monster I; 2nd — blur, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, cure mod-erate wounds, hold person; 3rd — body of eyes*, cure seriouswounds, inflict serious wounds, summon monster III; 4th — ener-vation, minor globe of invulnerability, polymorph self, summonmonster IV; 5th — dispel evil, greater command, spell resistance,summon monster IV; 6th — anti-magic field, globe of invulnera-bility, plane shift; 7th — forcecage, shadow walk.

*New spell, as described in Chapter 4 of this book.Money: 300 gp in gems, 125 gp in various coins.Appearance: Jasarl is a tall, thin man in his late thirties with

long, flaming red hair that he often wears in braids. He wears mid-night blue robes.

Personality: Jasarl is a very cat-like man who seems to beaware of everything around him without much effort. Jasarl livesonly to protect the coven from harm, and he does an excellent jobof it. Under Jasarl’s vigilant protection, the coven members feelvery safe, and they often reward his efforts with magical items. Hisshadowy profile, head resting on a hand supported by his hugemoonsword, his large cat by his knee, is taken as a sign by anyonewho knows him that all is well in the both the immediate area aswell as the adjoining astral plane. When Jasarl takes hismoonsword in both hands and Rykall’s tail lifts in alert, everyoneis aware that danger stalks them.

Jasarl is a very serious soul, and he rarely engages in anygaiety, as he’s always on the alert for trouble. Talking with thismale witch can be disconcerting--his attention always seems to bedivided between his conversation and somewhere else. Of course,this is normal for a vitke: their sight can focus on the mundaneplane as well as the astral at the same time. His familiar is a largedark brindle cat named Rykall, who at 28 pounds is a muscularrepository of restrained fierceness and energy.

History: Jasarl knew from an early age that his life would bedifferent from other boys in Greenrock. They tormented him forbeing so serious, but the young witch had a sense about how toprotect himself. His mother, a small, peaceful woman, pleadedwith him to stop fighting, but Jasarl knew he had to continue tosurvive. He even fought on the astral plane in his dreams, oftenwaking exhausted and sore. When he and Rykall mutually discov-ered each other, the male witch found an excellent partner in thefeisty kitten. Eventually the well-known vitke Stannich took theboy into training. Jasarl eventually became his tikarl, and finally avitke in his own right.

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Glossary

Glossary —Tools of the Craft

From Calatin’s Notes:To make things easier for those

not used to witchly tools and prac-tices, I have set down and defined anumber of terms peculiar to the Craft.

athame: A witch’s ceremonial knife,initially gifted to her by a morepowerful witch or teacher of theCraft. Later, the witch learns tocraft them for herself. They arefinely made, and the blades maybe of stone or metal. Anthemesare usually adorned with powerstones set in their hilt. Losingone’s antheme is considered abad omen.

archon: The second level of witch,after tyro. Archons are dividedinto three stages: shidras,burala, and yirthanan. A very tal-ented witch can skip a step, suchas going from shidras toyirthanan. The coven’s highest-level witch usually decideswhich level to grant a witch.

arthiras: A witch in full power. A termof respect, it is used before thewitch’s shadow-name, as in‘Arthiras Shalafer.’ It is notoften used in the presence ofmundanes.

Beltane: A festival celebrated at thebeginning of May, a time ofpreparation for the warm sum-mer months to come. It is a fes-tival of fertility, and handfastingrituals are commonly performedat this time. Fires are lit in cele-bration of the coming of springand the burgeoning of new life,and the whole festival takes on aparty atmosphere.

Book of Shadows: A book of specificinformation regarding the Craft.Every witch posses at least one;older or more powerful witchesusually have several, as theyhave collected more knowledgewith time. An aging witch near-ing life’s end may pass down herbooks to a younger witch; awoman might pass hers toanother female in her family.These are normally good-sizedvolumes, and they are oftenwarded. Witches must keepthese tomes within some dis-tance of their bodies at all times,as they draw some of theirspells’ essence from them.

bowl: The ritual bowl of salt set on analtar, made of metal, powerstone, or wood. Also a scryingbowl, usually made of powerstone that enhances the witch’smagic.

burala: The second level of archon,after shidras.

Ca’di-us: An evil goddess, patron ofmany black witches.

Circle (sometimes ‘the Circle): i) theritual place used by a coven inthe working of their Craft; ii) aterm used to describe the covenwhen so gathered.

coven: A gathering of witches sharingcommon backgrounds or lean-ings toward certain kinds ofmagic, who raise power toaccomplish their arthion’s(leader’s) goals.

coveners: Witches who belong to acoven.

coven-touched: Something controlledor manipulated by a close-knitgroup of witches who sharecommon goals.

Craft (normally ‘the Craft’):Anything to do with the practiceof witchcraft. Also moon-touched or moon-blessed.

crescent-marked: Moon-touched;having to do with witchcraft.Rare.

darktime: During the dark of themoon.

diaras: The second level of tyro.diverna: The second witch in charge

of a coven, after the arthion. Thediverna has at least one assistantcalled a torithyn. If the arthion isabsent or ill, the diverna leadsthe coven in its various duties.This witch is in charge of gath-ering the witches for power rais-ings.

dythane: A witch who has surpassedmost others in power or in study.A level which garners greatrespect from witches of a lowerstation, who often greet thewitch with a bow. Dythanes areoften coven leaders.

familiar: A witch’s bonded animalassociate.

firthane: A tyro’s first division.Ga-sta: Sister of the god Op’ta-tosep.

She is the one who imbued theworld with the magic thatbirthed witches.

"Goddess-blessed": Said of one whois lucky, or whose spells alwaysseem to go right.

"Goddess-touched": A woman drivento find out all she can about amagical subject.

half-dead: A term used to describe awitch who loses her familiar.

half-name: The name a witch usesoutside her life with the Craft.

lighttime: The time period during themonth when the moon is in itsfull phases.

maranth: An assistant to the arthion(who leads the coven).

moon-bent: A peculiar Solis witch.

moon-blessed: Something favorable.May also refer to someone bornwith strong witch powers orborn under a full moon. AlsoGoddess-blessed.

moondark: A curse word witches usewhen upset.

moonsword: A vitke’s magical bastardsword, used to protect theCircle. Its blade is typicallymade of a power stone such ascrystal etched with magicalsymbols and words.

moon-touched: Anything to do withwitchcraft.

mundanes: Non-witches."of the blood": Refers to someone

who is a witch.Op’ta-tosep: A powerful god who,

when trapped on this planet bythe machinations of Ca’di-us,created the continent of Myrraand all that is upon it.

pentacle: A symbol used widely in theCraft, particularly in ritualworkings. A five-pointed star(one point at the top) enclosedwithin a circle. Commonly wornas a pendant, usually in silver,by most witches; and commonlyinscribed on the ground as asymbol to mark a place in whichrituals are performed. Candlesare often burned at the points ofthe star while witches are atwork upon it.

power stone: These are naturallyoccurring minerals and rockswhich act to enhance certainwitch powers. They are oftenworn as jewelry by witches orincorporated into ritual items.

raising power: Magical ceremonies inwhich witches and/or theirfamiliars combine their magicksto perform great spells. Mayalso refer to the use of rituals tocast spells. Also a Raising.

ritual: The steps taken before raisingpower, either in Circle or by asolitary witch. These normallyinclude purifying the thresholdand altar with salt and sage,purifying the antheme with salt,lighting colored candles, invok-ing a power stone, and callingon the Moon Goddess for aid.Each coven or individual hastheir own variation involvingthe same basic steps.

Samhain: The New Year festival, cel-ebrated in October. At this time,the veil between the world of theliving and that of the dead isweakened, and the recentlydeparted are honored and cele-brated. Powers of divination areheightened at this time.

shadow-name: A witch’s true name,used only in Circle and by others

among the Craft. Spokenamong outsiders only undergreat duress.

shidras: The first level of archon (seeWitch Organization in Chapter7); a shidras is usually thecoven’s leader.

smallwork: A tiny spell or curse whichaffects an individual or his sur-roundings. Wishing a person agood day after he or she does awitch a favor is a smallwork.

Solis: A solitary witch, one who worksalone without the benefit of acoven.

solitaire: See Solis.sunsered (sunseered): Literally sun or

fire-blasted, thrown away fromthe moon. Cursed. Spoken of awitch with minimal powers orone who has lost a familiar orantheme.

tikarl: A vitke’s assistant who helpsguard the Circle during powerraisings.

tisane: A herbal infusion, often madewith healing herbs for a specificpurpose.

torithyn: An assistant to the diverna(who is second-in-command ofa coven).

Tyrran: The first beings Op’ta-tosepcreated from seeds during theCreation of Myrra (see theHistory of the Weave section,Chapter 1).

tyro: A young witch who’s justacquired her powers and isstudying the Craft. There arethree divisions to tyros: firthane(the lowest); diaras (secondranking); and zarsthior (highestranking).

unaffiliated witch: One who has notchosen to follow a specificweave. A standard witch.

vitke: The witch who stands outside aworking Circle with amoonsword and protects thewitches both on the earthly andastral planes. This witch doesnot have to be big physically,but must be mentally able todefend his or her Circle ordefend against a threat from anyplane. Vitkes often have assis-tants called tikarls.

yirthanan: The third level of anarchon witch.

weave (usually ‘the weave’): Themagic woven through the worldthat witches tap into to use theirmagical abilities.

witch shadow: A witch’s presence,essentially the emanation of herabilities. Also called an aura.This can be hidden at need.

zarsthior: The third level of tyro.

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